My Sister's Wedding
by andyoureturntome
Summary: Modern AU. Sansa's getting married! Arya is maid of honor, and she is none too thrilled about it.
1. Chapter 1

**What am I doing. I have a paper due tomorrow, but here I am...writing this. Oh well moving on! This is obviously AU and takes place in modern times. Arya is 17 and a senior in high school. Sansa is 22 and just out of college. Sandor is 35, Robb is 25 (As are Jon and Theon). Gendry is 23 and Jon's roommate.**

**This is going to be some serious fluff because I am wedding obsessed and a sucker for love! As such, I made Theon a good guy, and Arya and Sansa have a less antagonistic relationship. They still bicker, but there's no real animosity between them. I lightened up the whole thing, honestly, and though there's still going to be drama, it won't be anything devastating. This is NOT another Red Wedding people!**

**GRRM owns this, though I'm sure this is not what he envisioned when he wrote ASOIAF...anways...I get nothing out of writing this except for pure joy, and I hope you take away some too!**

* * *

"Jon! Throw me another beer!" Jon lobbed one at him and laughed hysterically when it bounced off of his drunken head, almost knocking him out.

"Theon Greyjoy, if you die in that hot tub, Robb will kill you!"

"Awww shut-up, Sansa! You worry too much!"

Sansa's face turned pink at Arya's comment, and she sputtered in annoyance. Her little sister only laughed and then took a running leap into the pool. Sansa shrieked and darted out of the way of the splash.

"Arya! You know I have a date tonight!"

"That's why you don't wear Vera Wang in the pool area!" Jon said as he walked over, laughing playfully and placing a big, smacking kiss on her temple. She pushed him away, only half annoyed as a smile unwillingly formed.

"But seriously, San, you look beautiful."

"You really do," Arya added as she scrambled onto a pool raft. Sansa glowed and did an obligatory twirl to show off her deep plum-colored cocktail dress.

"Do you really think so?"

Arya rolled her eyes. "Oh my GOD, Sansa! Seriously? You look perfect. You're a model! A goddess in the flesh!" Arya pretended to swoon, and Sansa flushed, partly in irritation but mostly in pleasure.

"AND I…" Theon said, rising from the hot tub, "…I AM A GOD AMONGST MEN!" He stood proudly in the nude, brandishing his swim trunks and smiling a lazily drunken smile at them all. Sansa and Arya shouted their protests as Jon roared with laughter.

"Theon, you better get your drunk ass in some pants or I'm telling Robb!"

"Aw come on Arya," Theon slurred, "I'm just trying to give everybody what they want!"

"Nobody wants that!" Jon shouted.

"Except maybe Margaery…" Sansa chimed in. She flushed with pleasure as her comment elicited loud laughter and sheer delight in her siblings. They never tired of teasing Theon about his disastrous and failed hookup with Sansa's best friend.

Theon was too distracted putting his swim trunks on the wrong way to react. Jon, still chuckling, walked over to help him.

"Here, hold my beer, buddy," he said as he took the shorts from Theon and flipped them the right way. Theon stepped clumsily into them before grinning and taking a swig of Jon's beer.

"I think he's had enough," Sansa said primly.

Sometimes, Sansa could be a bit of a downer, but in this instance, Jon had to admit that she was right. He pried the beer out of Theon's hands. Theon began to grow belligerent, trying to throw a punch but grossly misjudging the distance. Instead of hitting Jon, he punched the air and almost fell over.

"Tell you what…I'm going to pour you an extra special cocktail."

"Make it deadly!" Theon whooped enthusiastically.

Jon nodded and rolled his eyes as he dumped a bottle of water into a plastic cup. He thrust it at Theon who toasted them all and chugged it down. Arya was still floating on the raft when she tried to get his attention.

"Hey Jon!" He turned to regard his kid sister. He raised his eyebrows before shouting back.

"Hey Arya!" She laughed good-naturedly and threw a pool noodle at him.

"Stop being useless and go get that margarita machine Robb got for his wedding!"

Jon gave an exaggerated sigh but disappeared inside to go look for it. Sansa gave Arya a concerned look before saying, "Just be careful, Arya. You know you're a lightweight!"

"I am not!" Arya protested. "That's you!"

"Arya, you don't even weigh a hundred pounds! I'm just looking out for you, you know. You're not even old enough to be drinking!" Sansa huffed and checked her phone. Arya stuck her tongue out and let herself float away. Jon came staggering out with the box a moment later and Sansa went over to help him. Minutes later, she came over to the edge where Arya was floating, holding a drink.

"What's that?"

"A peace offering."

"It's not a virgin, is it?" Arya said suspiciously.

"No virgins here!" Theon shouted from table he was laying on. Sansa blushed a bit at that, but both girls laughed together. Sansa's eyes softened as she looked at her sister.

"I'm really glad you're home."

"Me too, San."

Just then, Sansa's phone rang, and from the way her sister's face lit up, Arya didn't even have to guess who it was.

"Hey! We're out back. Yeah the door's unlocked. Just come on through!" Sansa was beaming as she shut the phone. "Sandor's here!" She announced unnecessarily as she practically skipped away from Arya.

"Faaaaabuloussssssssss!" Theon trilled, still lying on his back. Jon thrust another water bottle at him, and Theon eagerly chugged that one, too. Arya watched as Sansa adjusted her hair and checked her makeup in the little compact from her purse. She rolled her eyes. Her sister had always been stunning, and her beauty had only increased with age. Arya had never been insecure about her own looks because she had known from an early age that she was plain and boyish and she had mostly accepted it about herself.

Arya hefted herself out of the pool just as the patio door opened to reveal Sandor. He was in a well-cut suit with his shoulder length hair mostly slicked back, clearly revealing his scars, a nasty souvenir from a childhood incident involving his even nastier brother. He was holding a bouquet of peonies that he presented to Sansa as he gave a swift kiss on the cheek. Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed over her favorite flowers. Sandor smiled gently down at her before giving Jon a firm handshake and a pat on the back. He waved over at Theon who had partially sat up long enough to give him a mock-serious salute. Then, Theon's head crashed back onto the table as he demanded that Jon fetch him another "deadly cocktail".

Jon moved away to grab him yet another water and Arya moved forward to say hello. They had all been wary of Sandor at first, none more so than Arya, but she had since really come to like him. He gave her a pat on the head, not wanting to get wet from giving her a hug. Arya noticed that his hands were shaking and she bit back a grin. _He's nervous_! She thought gleefully.

"Got everything?" she asked him. He nodded at her seriously before patting his breast pocket. Sansa was too busy saying goodbye to Jon and Theon to notice the exchange. She swept over to the two of them, smiling uncontrollably just like she had been since Sandor had arrived. She gave Arya a kiss on top of the head (about which Arya pretended to be miffed) and said a final goodbye to the group.

"Have a good time tonight, you two!" Arya chirped, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm sure we will," Sandor said in his deep voice. Arya couldn't help but notice the way his eyes always lingered on her sister. He offered her his arm, and the two left the others behind.

"The poor guy is absolutely smitten," Jon said from behind her. Arya turned to face him.

"She's just as bad! I mean, they've been dating for over a year. You'd think she would have calmed down about him already!"

Jon laughed, knowing she was only kidding. Sansa deserved to be happy, especially after everything that had happened with Joffrey. He could tell the drink was starting to affect Arya, but he didn't stop her from pouring another, either. _She deserves some happiness, too_ Jon thought.

He had missed his youngest sister when she left at the beginning of the year to go to school in Braavos, and he had been overjoyed when she decided to finish out her senior year back in Winterfell. She had gotten home a couple of days ago, and all of the siblings had been staying in Robb's house since her arrival. Technically, only Sansa had permission to stay in the house, as Robb had asked her to house-sit while he was on vacation, but Theon and Jon couldn't resist the temptation of Robb's well-stocked fridge and Olympic-sized pool.

"Hey you guys…I think this drink really is deadly because it's killing my buzz!" Theon shouted, breaking Jon's reverie. He leapt off the table and came running towards them, holding the offending water bottle. Arya laughed and handed him her drink before making herself another. Jon wanted to protest—someone had to be responsible—but he was far more tempted to join in on the fun. Theon went over to the speakers and began blasting music, and any resolve Jon had to end the party quickly melted away.

* * *

A couple of hours and many drinks later, Jon, Theon, and Arya were having a blast. Theon was standing on top of his table, singing a different song than the one that was playing through the speakers, and Arya and Jon were attempting to dance but were mostly just stumbling around and laughing helplessly.

Suddenly, the music cut off.

"What the hell, you guys?" Robb bellowed. Jon and Arya froze. Theon continued singing for a few moments before realizing that the music had stopped. He looked blearily around until he saw Robb.

"Robb! My man! Omigod you have to try this! It's deadly!" Theon leapt off the table and shoved a water bottle at his best friend. Robb glowered and snatched it away from him.

"You were supposed to come home tomorrow!" Arya exclaimed, confused.

"We caught an earlier flight," Robb said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Jeyne isn't feeling well, and I need to get back to work. Dad's got a big case coming in, and he needs all the help he can get. Come on you guys, get in the house." They all trekked in, squinting against the bright lights after the darkness outside. Jeyne came in holding a fussy Ned. She handed the baby over to Robb before hugging each of them.

"Never travel with an infant," she said exasperatedly before taking the baby back. "Goodnight, you guys. I really need to get some sleep. You are all welcome to stay here if you can't make it home."

Robb kissed his wife as she passed him on the way to the stairs and told her that he would be up in a minute. Theon collapsed on the couch and promptly fell asleep.

"Well, I guess he's staying. Arya, the guest room is yours. You probably don't need to go home tonight. Our parents probably kill us and then die themselves if they saw you like this." Arya nodded, knowing he was right, and followed Jeyne up the stairs.

Robb turned to Jon and asked him if he needed a room, too.

"Naw. I texted Gendry a few minutes ago, and we don't live that far away, so he should be here soon."

As if on cue, there was a honk outside. Jon gave Robb a hug, apologized for the party, and stepped through the door. He had almost made it to the car when he heard Arya yelling his name he turned in time to see her charging toward him before he caught her in a hug and spun her around.

"I almost forgot to tell you goodbye!"

"I'm probably going to see you again in less than twelve hours, little one!" He set her down and laughed as her face set into a stubborn line.

"I know. I just wanted to say goodbye." She was swaying slightly, but when he tried to help steady her, she shrugged him off, insisting she was fine. He laughed at her obstinacy and gave her quick kiss on the head before capturing her in a final hug.

"I missed you." She whispered.

He smiled before climbing in the car. She leaned down to look in the window, her grin changing into a glower when she saw who was driving. Gendry raised his hand in a wave, but she only deepened her scowl before turning on her heel and storming back into the house.

"So, I guess she's still mad at me, then?" Jon nodded, his head suddenly killing him. Gendry sighed and put the car in gear.

Arya watched from her window as the car drove away. _Stupid Gendry_. She peeled off her bathing suit and took a quick shower before climbing into bed. She pushed away all thoughts of him and snuggled in for a good long sleep. Her hangover tomorrow was going to be brutal, and she didn't plan on getting up until at least noon.

* * *

"Arya. Wake up. ARYA! WAKE UP!" Arya forced an eye open as she glanced at the alarm clock next to her bed. Eight AM. _She has got to be kidding. _Arya thought.

"Sansa, I swear to God, I'm going to kill you." Arya pulled the pillow over her head, trying to block out her sister's shouts.

"Oh no you won't! Not before my...WEDDING DAY!" Sansa let out an ear-shattering squeal before dragging the pillow off Arya's head and shoving her ring in front of her face.

"Sandor proposed! Can you believe it?!"

Arya absolutely could believe it because he had come to her of all people for advice about it.

"Oh Arya, look at it. Isn't it the most beautiful ring in the world?"

"I know what it looks like, Sansa, I went to Harry Winston with him and helped him pick out the damn thing!"

Sansa beamed. "You have such good taste."

Arya rolled her eyes. "Thanks." It wasn't as though Sansa had dragged Arya in there months ago, showing her the _exact _ring she wanted _just in case _Sandor decided to propose. Sansa's phone went off, adding to Arya's own loud and personal hell.

Her sister answered it and Arya could hear Margaery's squeal on the other side as Sansa responded with her own overjoyed scream. They proceeded to yell things at one another: thanks and congratulations, plans already being made. The conversation seemed endless, and Arya's head felt ready to split in half. She just wanted to go back to sleep. She was happy for Sansa, but she couldn't stand any more of the exclamations and giggles. As Sansa started telling the story of the proposal, Arya decided she couldn't take it anymore.

"SANSA!" she bellowed. "What is it going to take to get you out of my room?"

Sansa looked at her with her round, blue eyes hopeful. "Be my maid of honor?"

It was cheating for Sansa to ask her when she was in such a moment of weakness, but Arya was so desperate that she readily agreed. Sansa gave Arya a huge hug and kiss before turning her attention back to her phone.

"Sorry Margaery, I'm still here! I was just asking Arya to be my MAID OF HONOR! Yeah! I know! Now where was I..." Sansa finally left, closing the door behind her. Arya groaned and tried to get comfortable again, knowing that she was about to have a lot less peace in her life for a while.

* * *

**Well that turned out longer than I expected. Some of them might be a little OOC but that's to be expected when you change it from a fantasy drama to a modern day romantic/comedy fluffy thing. I tried to stay as true to their personalities as possible, but I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone!**

**I'm not gonna lie...I'm pretty excited for this wedding! You best believe Sansa is going to have the ULTIMATE wedding. But just what's going on with Gendry and Arya? I'm sure you'll find out soon because I have no self-control, and I can't seem to stop writing this!**

**Until next time! xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this is a little slow-moving, but it's light and fluffy and oh-so-cheesy. So this is still the morning after the proposal...Sansa is giddy and adorable, and Arya is riding the Struggle Bus!**

**Again, all credit goes to GRRM, and I get nothing for this!**

* * *

A few hours later, Arya unwillingly dragged herself out of bed. Her head was pounding, and her mouth felt dry. She struggled down the stairs. She passed Theon who was still passed out on the couch and made her way into the kitchen. Sansa was still there. She was sitting on the bar stool, feeding Ned his bottle as she talked enthusiastically to Jeyne. Arya ignored them both and went over to the coffee pot only to find it empty. Arya groaned. This had to be the worst day of her life.

Jeyne looked over apologetically. "Sorry, Arya, we're out of coffee. I have to go to the store and get some later." Arya nodded morosely and slumped onto the seat next to Sansa. Her sister looked at her appraisingly.

"You know, if you and Jon and Theon hadn't insisted on staying here with me all week, the coffee probably wouldn't be gone." _God, Sansa could be infuriating sometimes_. Arya tried to hold her tongue, not wanting to ruin what was arguably the happiest day in her sister's life. She put her head on the counter, wishing that the room would stop spinning.

"Maybe I wouldn't need it so badly if someone hadn't woken me up at the crack of dawn!"

"Eight o'clock is hardly dawn, Arya."

Arya snapped her head up to look at her sister. "Why were you up so early anyway? Shouldn't you have spent all night showing Sandor just how excited you are to marry him?"

Sansa turned bright red and smacked her on the arm. "Arya!" she gasped, sounding scandalized. Arya just laughed delightedly as Sansa tried to maintain some sense of dignity. Even Jeyne was smiling as she lifted Ned from Sansa's arms to burp him.

"While Sandor and I did have a…late night last night, I couldn't sleep. I was just so excited!" Sansa was a cross between mortified and elated, and Arya couldn't help but grin. "It's like I was telling Jeyne, this wedding is going to be perfect!" Arya suddenly felt bad for Jeyne, who had no doubt been held hostage for hours as Sansa chattered on about her wedding. She shot her a sympathetic look before she heard the next words out of Sansa's mouth: "And you get to help me plan it!"

_Fuck_. She was maid of honor. She had forgotten about that. She massaged her temples, her headache suddenly a million times worse. Sansa looked over at her with genuine pity. "You really hit it hard last night, huh?" Arya nodded, feeling extremely sorry for herself.

"Well, let's get you packed up! I'll drive you home, and we can stop for coffee on the way."

"Perfect. I'll only be a few minutes. Don't you have to pack too?"

"Oh, I already did!" Arya rolled her eyes. _Of course she did._ She looked at her beautiful sister, taking in her perfectly curled hair and simple wrap dress. Arya herself was looking a special level of awful in sweatpants and a ratty old t-shirt. She trudged up the stairs, making quick work of packing and decided not to change. She threw everything in her bag, not bothering to fold anything. She appeared by the front door a few minutes later where Jeyne and Sansa were saying their goodbyes. Arya hugged her sister-in-law and gave Ned a little pat on the head before heading over to the car and dumping her stuff in the backseat. Sansa hurried out behind her, and the two set off to finally get some coffee.

* * *

During the drive, Arya couldn't help but notice the way Sansa kept glancing at the gigantic diamond on her left hand as it rested on the steering wheel. Arya knew Sansa was restraining herself from gushing about the wedding, and she was grateful to her sister for that. After they swung through the Starbucks drive-thru, Arya decided she was in an agreeable enough mood to indulge her sister a bit.

"All right. So tell me the story. How did he propose?"

"Arya, it was perfect! We had dinner at this beautiful restaurant, and we were at the chef's table in this special alcove away from everyone else. He got down on one knee and everything! It was everything I ever dreamed of!" Sansa beamed over at her and Arya grinned right back, shaking her head. She glanced out the window and grew confused.

"Why are you going this way? Home's in the other direction."

"We have to make a pit-stop really quick. I want to tell Jon!"

"NO!"

"Arya, it will only take a second…"

"Gendry's there!" Arya hissed through gritted teeth. "Can't you just call Jon?"

Sansa pouted. "No. I had to call Robb because he had already left for work even though it's a _Saturday_, and when I called Margaery, it just wasn't the same as it would have been in person!"

"Okay, well Jon isn't some stupid girl who will cry and freak out with you. I'm pretty sure his reaction over the phone will be more than adequate."

"Arya, we're already here," Sansa said as they pulled into the parking lot.

"There's still time to call!"

"Stop being childish!" Sansa got out of the car, and Arya followed behind her, grumbling all the while. When they got to Jon's apartment door, Sansa pressed her ring up to the peephole before knocking. Arya rolled her eyes. _And she was the one being childish?_

Jon swung the door open a few minutes later and grabbed Sansa up into a bear hug, shouting his congratulations. He ushered them inside, giving Arya an affectionate nudge in the side. He hadn't had as much to drink as Arya and Theon, so he was in much better shape than they were this morning.

They made their way into kitchen, and Arya froze when she saw Gendry there looking like he had just woken up. He stared back at her, his eyes stormy and intense. She was the first to look away. Sansa and Jon, sensing the tension, moved out of the room to give the two some privacy. Gendry took a few steps toward her, a cautious smile on his face.

"Arya! I didn't think I'd see you again so soon."

"Sansa got engaged last night and we just came to tell Jon the news."

Gendry's face erupted into a true smile then. "That's great! You like this guy, right?"

Arya nodded as Gendry took a few more steps toward her. She backed away from him until she ran into the counter. He continued coming toward her until he stood right in front of her. He leaned forward and she felt the spark of electricity between them. She opened her mouth slightly, sure he was going to kiss her and a little worried about why she was so willing for him to do it. He continued coming closer to her, and her heart began to beat erratically. At the last minute, he abruptly looked up and grabbed a cup from the shelf above her.

She felt a wave of disappointment and a twinge of annoyance as he moved away from her to fill his cup. She huffed and stormed away from him, suddenly remembering how stupid he was. Sansa and Jon looked expectantly at her as she entered the living room. She could feel Gendry behind her as he followed her out of the kitchen.

"Ready to go?" Sansa nodded and swiftly got up from the couch. Jon and Gendry walked them to the door.

Gendry grabbed her elbow as she was about to leave. "Hey." "_What?_" she snapped, turning to him. He was much closer than she anticipated. As she stared at his face mere inches from her own, she wondered, not for the first time today, what it would be like to kiss him again.

They leaned into one another, both of them breathing a little harder than normal. Gendry licked his lips, and Arya felt her knees go a little weak in spite of herself. "Welcome home." He grinned at her wickedly before walking away. Arya turned to see Jon looking livid.

"I'll punch him for you, if you want." Arya laughed. Jon hadn't been the biggest fan of Gendry's when they had dated the first time, and she was pretty sure he still had some unresolved desires to kick his ass. Arya had been sure to pretend that the breakup didn't hurt her as much as it did because she hadn't wanted to ruin Jon and Gendry's friendship. She reassured Jon that he was fine and gave him a quick hug goodbye before following Sansa to the parking lot.

* * *

"So what was all of that with you and Gendry?" Sansa asked when they were back in the car. Arya shrugged, trying to seem non-committal. In truth, she had no idea. She thought she had gotten over him during her months away from Winterfell, but seeing him again had only proven one thing for sure. She was not done with Gendry Waters.

* * *

**Awww yissss we are about to get some major Gendrya angst! Ugh. I just love them so much together.**

**This is just so much fun to write, and I hope that it's as fun to read. Thanks to you guys who followed/reviewed. I do this for you! xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is purely filler, and it's not especially good. Sorry! I just needed this to set up the next chapter which is going to be MILES better!**

**This is the next day, (Sunday) and the Starks are having a barbecue!**

**I take no credit, and make no money!**

* * *

"Sandor you missed the turn!"

He swore loudly and whipped the car around. "I miss that damn turn every time," he growled. He looked over at Sansa who was giggling helplessly. He smiled in spite of himself as he turned onto the secluded road that led to her parents' estate.

They pulled into the driveway in front of the palatial house, and she smiled up at him. "I'm so happy." He chuckled and brought his hand to caress her cheek. "Me too, little bird." Her smile widened at his nickname for her. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. She moved her hands up to either side of his face, and he slid his arms down around her waist. She deepened the kiss and moved closer to him. He played with the hem of her shirt, and she sighed into his mouth. A blush began creeping across her cheeks, and she kissed him more desperately.

They were startled apart when a water balloon suddenly exploded against the windshield of the car. Sansa screamed in surprise, and Sandor launched himself out of the car toward Rickon, who stood laughing a few feet away. He darted away, leaving Sandor cursing. Sansa laughed and shook her head. She got out of the car, struggling with the shopping bags of food they had brought. Sandor came over and took them from her, lifting them easily.

They stepped into the house, hearing shouts and laughter. They made their way into the kitchen. The amount of people and activity in the room was overwhelming. Sansa navigated around a harassed-looking Jeyne who was juggling a screaming Ned and moved to help her mother with the cooking. Rickon was at the sink filling water balloons. Cat tripped over him and huffed in frustration.

"Rickon, please!" She said, exasperated. Rickon ignored her and continued filling his balloons. Sandor put the shopping bags on the kitchen table and went over to the boy; he hefted him under his arm and carried him out to the backyard, ignoring his shouts and flailing arms. Cat gratefully watched them go and Sansa beamed.

Jeyne had finally quieted Ned, and she left the room, saying something about finding a place to rest for a while. Arya was sitting on the counter, angrily shoveling chips into her mouth. Sansa and Cat continued cooking. The room had finally quieted, and the two daughters were left alone with their mother.

"Arya, I can't spare the counter space anymore. You can either help us or go outside, but either way, you have to move." Arya grumbled and shifted over slightly but still didn't get up. Catelyn pinched her nose in annoyance and breathed in sharply. She started grabbing food and carrying it outside. Sansa moved so that she was in front of her sister.

"Hey." Arya raised her eyebrows at her. "What's wrong with you?"

"Jon brought Gendry with him, and they're both being insufferable."

Sansa's eyebrows knitted together.

"I thought he knew how you felt about Gendry."

"He thinks I'm just being my normal, stubborn self. He doesn't realize how hard it is for me to be around him. Jon told me that he thought it would be fine. He thinks Gendry and I can be friends again."

"That's because Jon Snow knows nothing about women." Both girls looked up to see Ygritte grinning at them in the doorway. Arya jumped off the counter and ran to hug her, looking happier than she had all day. Sansa felt a little pang of jealousy and tried to push it away. She knew Arya and Ygritte had a lot in common, and she was glad that they were friends, but sometimes it hurt her to think that her little sister felt closer to someone else.

Just then, Sandor came back in to see if she needed any help. He caught Sansa's sad smile and glanced over at Ygritte, knowing what she was feeling. She had confided in him a while ago how she felt about Arya and Ygritte's friendship. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the shoulder. She smiled wider and leaned into him.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Congrats you two lovebirds!" Ygritte called out, coming over to hug them.

Arya laughed. "I wish I could forget! It's all Sansa could talk about yesterday!" Sansa blushed and peeked up at Sandor. He looked down at her with an oddly touched feeling on his face. Even now, he still had moments where he couldn't believe she had chosen him.

Ygritte joined in laughing with Arya. "Well, I haven't been around for a few days, so it looks like we have some catching up to do." She smiled kindly at Sansa and her heart warmed towards the girl.

"That reminds me," Arya said, "where _have_ you been the last couple of weeks?"

Ygritte rolled her eyes. "Jon and I got in a huge fight, and I decided to give him some time to realize he was wrong."

"And?"

"He doesn't know much, but he learns fast." Ygritte grinned knowingly and went outside. Laughing, Arya, Sansa, and Sandor grabbed the remaining food and followed her.

* * *

Hours later, the Stark family sat around, still eating and laughing and drinking. Theon had dragged out the karaoke machine, and he was torturing the rest of the family with his drunken crooning. Jon and Ygritte were the only ones enjoying it, but then, they were the only ones as drunk as he was. They had been a lot more affectionate with one another than they were normally, Arya had noticed, and she wondered what was up with them.

Ygritte leaned over and whispered something in Jon's ear. He shook his head, trying to laugh her off. She crossed her arms and repeated herself, but Jon still refused. When Theon's song was over, Ygritte leapt up and grabbed Jon's hand, pulling him with her. Jon was still arguing with her when their duet started playing.

Ygritte started singing the girl part, swaying drunkenly with Jon. Jon started to sing the boy's part, but he was drowned out by Ygritte. "You're doing it wrong, Jon! Let me!" She proceeded to sing both parts as Jon watched her with a dazed smile on his face. When she finished, she went in for a sloppy kiss. After, he pulled her in for a hug. They laughed as they staggered around unsteadily.

Unfortunately, Jon forgot that he was still holding his microphone. "I love you, Ygritte! I can't wait to marry you!"

The Starks fell silent as the couple turned to face them. Ygritte fiddled with the chain around her neck and pulled it up to reveal the diamond ring that was hanging on it.

"Surprise," she said weakly.

* * *

**So this was a little unfocused, I know. It was short though, so at least you weren't subjected to its awfulness for too long! Like I said, I just needed to use this chapter as a setup for the next one.**

**Ygritte is about Jon's age...God, I love her. She's so sassy haha. Rickon is 13 in this, and I know that Bran was absent from this chapter, but he'll be there in the next one!**

**Next chapter is picking up right where this one left off. It's going to heavily feature Gendrya, and they might just have a moment! Eeeeeeeee! I have the next chapter written. It just needs some tweaking. It'll be up in the next few hours.**

**Please don't judge me for this bad chapter! I promise it'll get better if you stick with me xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**This should have been up hours ago, but I got distracted and busy, and life got away from me. Also, editing this took longer than I expected. I also added a lot of stuff, but since I am writing so late, I probably made a few mistakes...so forgive those if you can, please!**

**Characters belong to GRRM, and I take no credit! Also, I gain nothing from this!**

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The family continued to stare at Jon and Ygritte in silence. Jon's accidental announcement seemed to have sobered the two a bit. Ygritte's eyes had come to rest on Sansa, and she looked at the younger girl apologetically.

"We were keeping it a secret. We wanted to elope and not make a big deal out of it. We didn't want to take away from you or your wedding, Sansa. I'm so sorry!"

Sansa leapt up and pulled Ygritte into a tight hug.

"What on earth are you sorry for?! This can only add to my happiness! You guys, congratulations! That's amazing." Sansa smiled at the two of them warmly, truly happy for them.

Arya piped up then, her tone less forgiving. "What the hell? You were just going to run off and get married and not tell any of us?"

"We wanted to keep it simple. Stress-free. We would have told you guys about the marriage…just not the wedding."

"And what about now?" Arya demanded.

Ygritte smiled at Jon, who nodded. "I think we can be persuaded to throw something together. I always sort of envisioned a beach wedding."

Catelyn stood up then, too, and came forward to hug the two of them. She then turned to smile at her eldest daughter. "Well, Sansa, this dinner tonight was for you and Sandor, but now, I guess we have two engagements to celebrate!"

"Cheers to that!" Theon yelled, and the rest of the family laughed and raised their glasses with him.

"Just to be clear though, this isn't my engagement party, right?" Sansa asked, looking slightly worried. Sandor chuckled and ruffled her hair as she grinned somewhat abashedly at her mother. For her part, Catelyn just laughed and reassured her daughter.

"Right, darling. Your father and I are still hosting your engagement party at the country club." Relief colored Sansa's face, and she smiled appreciatively before turning back to Ygritte to help her start planning the surprise wedding. Arya got up from the table and moved away from her family to go soak her feet in pool. Jon noticed and followed her over. He sat down beside her.

"Hey. Stop being so sulky."

"How could you not tell me you were getting married, Jon?"

"Arya, we just got engaged last night."

Her head shot up at that, and she looked at him quizzically.

Jon sighed and tilted his head back to look up at the clouds in the sky.

"That's what our big fight was about a couple of weeks ago. She started questioning my commitment to her and saying that our relationship didn't mean anything to me because otherwise, we'd be married. I'd already bought a ring and had been carrying it around with me for months, but I didn't tell her that because she made me so mad when she accused me of not caring."

"Why didn't you ask her to marry you months ago?"

"I didn't know if that was what she wanted."

"You were scared."

"I guess. I don't know. Anyway, she said that we needed to take time apart so we could figure out what we wanted. I didn't want to be the first to cave, but seeing Sansa so happy made me swallow my pride, and last night, I showed up on her doorstep and begged her to marry me."

"Well I guess it wouldn't be you two if it wasn't dramatic."

"You shouldn't talk! I saw the way you avoided Gendry all day. He's really hurt, Arya. I know he misses you. He wouldn't stop talking about you all day yesterday."

Arya's heart lifted, and she tried not to show just how happy that made her. Jon reached over and patted her on the shoulder.

"Just give the guy a break, okay?"

She smiled at him and kicked water in his direction. "Give _me_ a break!" she retorted, but she was laughing. He laughed with her and sat with her a moment longer. Then Ygritte called out, "Jon Snow!" and beckoned him over, and he got up to join her, affectionately rumpling his sister's hair as he went. Arya smiled. Ygritte was the only one that used Jon's middle name on a regular basis.

Arya watched as he kissed Ygritte before sitting in the chair next to her and draping an arm around her shoulder. The two of them were talking wedding plans with Sansa, who sat curled up in Sandor's lap. The four of them looked so happy, and Arya had to admit that she was happy _for_ them.

A ways away, Robb and his wife stood in sharp contrast to the overjoyed couples at the table. The two of them were arguing, and Jeyne looked near tears. Arya frowned. She felt bad for Robb. He had gotten engaged quickly and married even faster, and six months later, little Ned had been born. She knew Robb cared for Jeyne, but she sometimes wondered if he was truly happy with the path his life had taken. He was an honorable man, just like his father, and he had seen no other option than to make an honest woman out of the one who was now thrusting their infant son into his arms.

Arya liked Jeyne. She was pretty and sweet, if not a little bland, and she was always kind to her husband's family. She just wasn't somebody Arya had pictured as ending up with Robb. Her oldest brother had been extremely popular in high school. He was smart and funny and good-looking, and all the girls had wanted to date him.

He had grown more serious as he got older, and she sometimes thought that law school had made him the oldest twenty-five-year-old she had ever known. She knew he had to take it all seriously because he was being groomed to become a senior partner at the law firm after their father retired. It made her sad to think that Robb's marriage and job—things that were supposed to make him happy—were making him miserable instead.

They had finished their argument, and Jeyne was now gathering their things to leave. Robb, looking strained, said goodbye to those nearest to him before leaving with Jeyne. Arya saw how concerned her mother looked as she watched them go. Her father was too busy typing something up on his BlackBerry to notice that his eldest son had left. Arya sighed and lay back in the grass, her feet still dangling in the pool. She missed her father. She'd thought when she came back, they would rekindle the same bond they'd had when she was younger, but he was just so obsessed with work, and he was always so stressed these days.

She closed her eyes and folded her hands across her stomach, enjoying the heat of the sun shining on her face. Suddenly, a shadow passed over her. She opened her eyes to see Gendry staring down at her. He plopped down next to her, and Arya tried not to notice how shirtless he was. He plunged his feet into the water with hers and kicked them around, every now and then making contact with her and sending shivers up her spine. He leaned back onto his hands and looked down at her.

She'd forgotten how just how blue his stupid eyes were.

"You have way too many people in your family."

"And it just keeps growing," she said, jerking her head towards Sandor, Sansa, Jon, and Ygritte.

"You really didn't know they were planning this?"

Arya shot him an annoyed look. "I had no idea. What about you? Did you know?"

Gendry shook his head.

"He at least should have told _you_. You're his roommate!" Arya paused for a minute, a realization hitting her. "How's that even going to work? Where are you going to live once they're married?"

"I have no idea."

Though it was inconvenient at the moment, Arya had to admit that this was probably the best thing for the two of them. It was a little ridiculous that for all the money they made, the two of them were still sharing the same cramped apartment they'd had since college. Gendry looked sadly over at Jon and Ygritte again.

"I kind of feel like I'm losing my best friend," he said quietly. Jon and Gendry had met in high school when Jon was a junior and Gendry was a freshman. They'd hit it off quickly and had been friends ever since. Arya remembered how sad he'd been when Jon went off to college. Of course, he had followed and moved in with him just two years later, but Arya knew it had been the two loneliest years of Gendry's life. Because she and Jon were so close, she and Gendry had become good friends over the years. _Until they had become something more_, she thought.

She studied his handsome face sadly. She missed being able to talk to him like this. Things hadn't been this easy between them since King's Landing. She had gone there with her father the summer before her junior year when he went to help a friend with some legal stuff. Gendry had gone out there for an engineering internship. Gendry was now a hugely successful engineer, and he was constantly given job offers from all over the world. Arya knew that it was in no small part thanks to her. She had talked him out of dropping out countless times during his college career.

Though they'd had mild flirtation for months leading up to that, it wasn't until they were in King's Landing that they had officially become a couple. They had been so happy together. That was before all the horrible stuff had happened with Joffrey and her father. A shadow crossed over her face. It had been mostly her fault that they had broken up. She was the one that had pushed him away, and yet, she still blamed him for letting her go.

Without really thinking about it, she sat up and grabbed one of Gendry's hands, tracing the veins and scars that covered it. She remembered tending to a lot of these when they were still cuts. They were just the price of working with one's hands, Gendry had always said. His hand was warm, and it was almost twice the size of Arya's. She'd missed his hands.

She stilled, suddenly realizing what she was doing. She dropped his hand and looked up to meet his eyes. He had been watching her the whole time, she knew. Her heart started doing that annoying thing where it was racing and making it hard for her to breathe. He seemed to be having the same trouble because she noticed that his breathing was faster and more shallow than normal. The minutes seemed to stretch out, and suddenly the few inches of space between them seemed much too large a gap.

"Arya?" She jerked away from Gendry and turned to look at Sansa. She was smiling slyly at the two of them, and Arya knew she was going to have to answer a lot of questions later.

"It's almost ten. Sandor and I are heading home. I have a room full of five-year-olds to deal with tomorrow, and I need to get some rest." Arya got up and hugged her sister goodbye, feeling Gendry stand up behind her. She gave Sandor a quick hug too. Gendry nodded to them both, and the four of them made their way over to the rest of the group, only to find Jon and Ygritte standing up to leave as well. Cat and Ned were saying their goodbyes as Rickon came running over with Bran following in his wheelchair. Theon had already turned in for the night, crashing in one of the guest rooms in the Stark house.

Jon turned to look at Gendry. "Ygritte's driving me home. You coming too?" Gendry shook his head. He had brought his own car, and besides that, he wasn't ready to leave quite yet. He shot a look at Arya who was quietly hugging Ygritte goodbye. He felt hope building inside his chest. _ Maybe he had a shot with her after all_.

The two happy couples moved out, and Cat turned her attention to Bran and Rickon. Boys, bed. You have school tomorrow. She turned to look at her youngest daughter. She had school, too, but Cat didn't want to try and control her too much. She had already lost Arya for more than a year, and she didn't want to lose her again. Plus, she had finally started to look happy again, and Cat suspected it had more than a little to do with the tall, dark-haired boy that stood at her side.

"Arya, not too late."

Arya nodded at her mother and gave her father a hug goodnight. He smiled affectionately down at her without quite taking his eyes off of his phone. Cat's mouth pressed into an thin line, but she didn't say anything.

With the rest of her family gone, Arya turned to looked at Gendry, suddenly feeling awkward. She walked to the edge of the deck and sat down on the stairs. Gendry joined her a few minutes later. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"So, how does Sansa like teaching kindergarten?"

"She loves it. Joffrey never let her work, and Sandor adores her so much that he lets her do whatever she wants, even if he does make enough money for them both, several times over."

"What does he do?"

"He owns some security company. He used to work as Joffrey's bodyguard before he left and started his own company." Arya wished she could stop bringing up Joffrey. He was a sore point for her, and she didn't want to think about all the bad memories when she was finally becoming open to the idea of building happier ones. She stole another glance at Gendry and suspected that he was going to play a large part in those happier times.

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Arya woke up to find herself curled into Gendry. She looked around groggily, trying to figure out where she was. She glanced at her watch. It was well past three in the morning. She and Gendry had talked for hours, and they must have fallen asleep. She nudged him hard, and he stirred awake. His eyes were tender as he smiled at her, and she felt herself naturally return the look. He too, checked his watch and swore when he saw what time it was.

"Getting up for work is going to suck," he said, standing up. He offered her his hand and helped her up, too. Once she was standing, he didn't let go, and she found that she didn't really mind. They walked through the house and to the front door. She opened it for him and watched him walk to his car.

"Gendry!"

He turned as she ran to him. She felt the warmth of his arms as they closed around her. Quickly, before she could overthink it, she pressed her lips to his, lingering for only a minute before running back inside.

Gendry grinned the whole drive home.

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**Hooray for exposition! I know I did a lot of backstory for a lot of people here, but in order to get on with telling the story, I need to get all of the characters established. **

**And haha Bran ****_was_**** in this chapter, just like I said he'd be, and he got all of two mentions! He'll be featured more in upcoming chapters, (as will Rickon) but this is shaping up to be a mainly Gendrya focused story with some heavy doses of SanSan.**

**Also, poor Robb! Homeboy can't catch a break! Things will look up for him, I'm sure...**

**Again, thank you guys for the reviews. I have lost faith in this story a few times, and y'all were what convinced me to stick with it! PS Bran is 15 (vital information, I know lol)**

**Have a lovely weekend! xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh my gosh…so much backstory…this one's pretty dense, and it's a lot of information, but it more or less rounds out the rest of the characters and fills in what happened in the past. It's a bit on the boring side, but it had to be done!**

**The first part of this is unbearably cheesy, but I couldn't resist! This is exactly what I dreamed of happening to me when I was an awkward junior high student ahaha.**

**This is the Monday after the barbecue.**

**Same old same old: I take no credit, I only give it to GRRM, and I get nothing for writing this!**

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"Shireen Baratheon. Come to the principal's office. Shireen Baratheon."

The heads of her classmates all whipped around to look at her. They all looked shocked. Shireen, too, was surprised. She had never been in trouble in her life. She was bookish and quiet; she always followed rules, and she always respected authority. She was a sweet girl, but she wasn't extremely popular. She mostly kept to herself, preferring the company of her books. Well, of her books and Rickon.

Rickon had been her friend ever since they were little when he'd asked her if her birth defect meant that she had superpowers. She had been born with a port wine stain on the left side of her face. The birthmark left dark red splotches all over her neck and cheek. The other kids had treated her differently because of it, but Rickon was the only one who was unfazed by it. Rickon was the reason she wasn't picked on by the others.

He was popular and well-liked by everyone, and though he was young, it was obvious that he was going to grow up to be extremely handsome. All the girls thought he was cute, and the guys thought he was funny and fun to hang around with. He set all the social cues that others followed. He didn't want to be the trendsetter; he just did what he wanted, and others followed suit. Shireen's differences made her the obvious target for bullying, but Rickon had claimed her as his best friend, and those who would treat her cruelly were sadly disappointed when he'd stayed unfalteringly loyal to her.

Over the years, she'd naturally developed a bit of a crush on her best friend, but she doubted that he felt the same. She wasn't the sort of girl Rickon would be interested in. She had more or less come to terms with the way she looked, but it still made her sad sometimes to think she would always have the unsettling discoloration on half of her face. Now, after hearing her name announced over the intercom, she felt the other half of her face redden to match.

"Shireen, honey, go on down." Shireen nodded at her teacher and hurried out the door.

When she stepped into the hallway, she was surprised to see kids standing outside the doors of their classrooms, each one holding a rose. As she passed each of her classmates, he or she would hand her the rose they were holding.

Shireen accepted them, her wonder growing with every step. When she reached the end of the hall, she saw Rickon standing in front of the principal's office holding a bouquet of roses. She gasped and started laughing as she accepted the flowers.

She pulled out the card that was attached, her eyes widening as she read it. She looked up at Rickon who was smiling hopefully at her.

"Of course I'll go to the spring formal with you!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. He whooped and hugged her back, and Shireen had never felt happier. Her happiness was short-lived, however. Looking over Rickon's shoulder, her eyes fell on Principal Martin's livid face as he stalked toward them.

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Catelyn Stark was tired and stressed. She sighed as she sat at her kitchen table, scrolling through emails. She had two weddings to help plan, and one of them was happening in a little over two weeks. She massaged her temples, wishing Jon and Ygritte had gotten engaged a little sooner. Truth be told, she was surprised that they had gotten engaged at all. While she had no doubt that they were crazy about each other, Ygritte didn't seem like the type to settle down.

Like Arya, Ygritte had always said that she found the conventionality of marriage distasteful. She'd always pictured a non-traditional lifestyle with a committed relationship free of any labels. Jon had called her a hippie, Catelyn remembered with a laugh.

Jon had flat-out refused to start a family without marrying her, and he even shied away from living with her unmarried. Just like Ned, Jon was an honorable man, dedicated to propriety and morality above all else. Catelyn had truly come to love him, but she had not had an easy time with him when Ned had first brought him home to live with them.

Catelyn had been pregnant with Sansa when Ned's sister, Lyanna, died, leaving her boy to her brother's care. She had been either unwilling or unable to tell him who the father was. In any case, Jon had been all alone in the world, and she hadn't had the heart to turn him away. She raised him as her own child, and he grew up calling her biological children his brothers and sisters, and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Just then, her email pinged. She had just received the reservation confirmation for the house they were going to be staying at for Jon and Ygritte's wedding. Because she had booked it so last-minute, the price was outrageous, and Catelyn again cursed their rushed timeline. Jon and Ygritte wanted to get married in Vale, on the beach, and they wanted to do it when the weather was still nice before summer hit and the heat was unbearable. Arya, Bran, and Rickon's spring break was in two weeks, so they'd decided to have the wedding then.

They were renting a huge house on the beach where everyone would be staying for the week, and the family was really excited to get away. Even though Cat knew it was going to be a lot of work, she was excited, too. They all needed a break, no one more so than Ned.

Cat's heart ached as she thought of her husband. He'd been under enough stress and pressure to last him a lifetime. When Robert had called him to help with his company, Ned had gone to his aid without hesitation. He'd had no idea about the nightmare he was coming into.

Robert's company, Fury Enterprises, had been reporting record profits over the last few months when his CFO, Jon Arryn, had looked into the reasons behind the growth. What he had found was a litany of financial and corporate crimes that could all be linked to the Lannisters, Robert's wife's family. Cersei's father, Tywin, was a dangerous man who was rumored to have shady connections and suspect intentions. Before Jon had had a chance to bring Robert the evidence he'd discovered against the Lannisters, he had taken ill and died under mysterious circumstances. Rudderless without his friend, Robert had called Ned to come down and help him.

Ned had been suspicious about Jon's death and leery of the Lannisters, so he'd done some digging. It didn't take him long to find what Jon had figured out, and he'd tried to bring the information to the federal authorities. Unfortunately, Tywin's oldest son, Jamie, worked for the FBI, and he'd quickly caught wind of the accusations from his friends in the white-collar crimes unit. Shortly after that, Robert too had died under mysterious circumstances. Ned had tried to build a case against the Lannisters, convinced they were responsible for the deaths, but the police department refused to look into it, likely paid off by the Lannisters to look the other way.

To make matters worse, Sansa, who had been going to college in King's Landing at the time, had become engaged to Cersei's son, Joffrey. At that point, everything had started spiraling out of control. Arya had started rebelling, angry at her father for becoming too busy at work to see that his oldest daughter was being abused by her fiancé. Bran had gotten into a car accident, paralyzing him and confining him to a wheelchair. Rickon's behavioral problems had become unmanageable, and Catelyn was too busy dealing with her youngest sons to realize that Sansa had lost contact with her family because Joffrey was essentially holding her hostage.

The pressure had started to get to Ned, and he had lost his head. He'd had a nervous breakdown and given himself a heart attack, and when he was hospitalized, Arya had run away from King's Landing. No one knew where she had gone. Gendry had been the one to bring her home, and she had been livid with him. She only stayed in Winterfell for a week before asking her mother to transfer to high school in Braavos for the rest of her high school years. Cat had let her, only wanting her to be happy, but it had broken her heart to send her away.

Shortly after Robert's death, his brother, Stannis, had launched an aggressive campaign to merge his company, Blackwater Limited, with Fury Enterprises. The Lannisters had managed to neutralize his efforts, and Stannis had given up trying to win control of the company.

Things had finally started to look up after the failed Blackwater merger. Sandor had left the employment of the Lannisters and taken Sansa with him, and after she'd graduated a few months later, he'd brought her home. Bran was working with a physical therapist, and with Dr. Luwin's help, he was growing stronger by the day. He'd finally been able to move his legs, and there was renewed hope that he would be able to walk again. Rickon had settled down, though he was still a bit wild, and finally, Arya decided to come home. She only had a few months left of high school, and Catelyn was glad she wasn't going to miss out on any more of her daughter's life.

Catelyn felt content knowing that her family was slowly but surely coming back together. The only person she was worried about was Ned. He and Robb had started working with the FBI on the case against the Lannisters, and he'd become obsessive about it. He seemed to have no time for his kids anymore, and Catelyn wondered if it even registered with him that his daughter was getting married. What Ned needed was to reconnect with his family, and she felt like this trip to the Vale would be a perfect time for him to do so.

Just then, the phone rang, and Catelyn jumped slightly, surprised by the sudden burst of noise.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Stark, this is Winterfell Junior High. We have Rickon in the office, and we were wondering if you would be able to come in and address a behavioral problem."

Catelyn's heart sank.

"Of course. I should be there soon."

The drive to the school was a long one, and when Catelyn finally walked into Principal Martin's office, she was a nervous wreck. She looked over at Rickon, who looked smug and proud of himself. She listened as the principal recounted what had happened. When he was finished, he looked at Rickon and asked if the boy understood the consequences of his actions.

Rickon smiled. "Yeah! Shireen's going to the dance with me!"

Catelyn couldn't help but smile. Shireen was such sweet little thing. Catelyn felt sorry for her. The girl's birthmark could be lightened or even completely removed with laser treatment, but her father, Stannis, absolutely refused to allow this. His wife had been committed to a sanitarium a few years ago when her nerves and sickness had gotten the better of her, and he had since gotten a new girlfriend. The woman, Melisandre, was a health nut who insisted on holistic treatment that didn't involve medicine or doctors. She had a weird sort of control over Stannis, and she had been the one who talked him out of the laser treatments.

Despite her family's instability, Shireen had remained a somewhat happy child who was generous and kind. Catelyn liked her immensely, and she could tell that she adored Rickon. It made her happy that Rickon finally appeared to be returning the feelings, and Catelyn couldn't help but be impressed with the way he'd orchestrated asking her to the formal.

Principal Martin noticed her smile and frowned disapprovingly.

"Mrs. Stark, this is serious. Your son involved other students in his delinquency, broke into my office, used the intercom without permission, and disrupted class time. I have half a mind to ban him from the dance!"

"I understand that, Mr. Martin, but his actions were hardly malignant. I don't think it would be fair to keep him from going to the dance. Surely there's something else he can do?"

* * *

All in all, the meeting hadn't gone too badly, Rickon decided. His mother had stuck up for him, and it turned out, she wasn't even mad. She had actually praised Rickon for his creativity and the two of them laughed at how mad the principal had been at them both. His punishment had been that he had to be on the dance cleanup committee, but he didn't mind. Shireen was on the cleanup committee.

His mom drove him home early, and when they pulled up to the house, they saw Gendry's car parked out front. Inside, he and Arya were having a rather intense argument. He watched as both of their faces grew steadily darker and their hand motions became more agitated. Gendry said something that made Arya's face go hard, and then she jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She stormed into the house as Gendry peeled away, leaving tire marks behind.

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**This was a touch more serious (read: boring) than the other chapters, but it'll be back to fluff next time!**

**Sorry if this was a bit of a ho-hum installment.**

**Next one will pick up with Arya's Monday back at school, and we will get to hear what happened during that very interesting conversation/screaming match in Gendry's car.**

**Thanks again for the support and encouragement! xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Look at me go! This is just so fun to write that I can't stop. Nothing big to say here. Just the usual refrain: I take no credit, and I don't do this for profit; I just do this for you guys!**

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Arya Stark sighed as the documentary about Dante played in the background. It really had nothing to do with his book they were reading, and no one was really watching it, anyway. The closer it got to spring break, the harder it was for the teachers to get them to focus on school, so they had resolved to give them busy work for the next two weeks. Her morning Environmental Science class had been spent collecting soil samples from different places on the school grounds to test the moisture levels and determine what location would be best for optimal plant growth. She'd almost cried with boredom. In Statistics, she and her group just conducted coin flipping probability tests. By the time she'd made her to her third period English class, she was ready for the day to be over. She just had the rest of the documentary to get through, and then she could finally go to lunch, marking the halfway point through her school day.

The day was moving especially slowly because she was so looking forward to what was coming afterwards. She and Sansa were taking Ygritte dress shopping, and while she normally hated stupid girly things, she found herself weirdly excited to spend the afternoon with the two older girls. Ygritte was one of the coolest people she knew, and when she was younger, she had sometimes wished that she was her sister instead of Sansa. Arya felt badly about that now, especially because of how close she and older sister had become. Sansa had been the one to convince Arya to come home, after all.

She felt her phone buzz, and for a minute she thought it was Gendry texting her again. He had just sent her the one word text this morning saying "hey," but it unnerved her all the same. It was too easy to fall back into old patterns with him. She still wasn't completely sure that she trusted him, but the more she thought about her kiss, the more she wanted to do it again. She peeked at the screen and saw that it was Ygritte calling her. Arya grinned. If it had been any other member of her family calling, she would have been worried. They only called her in school if there was an emergency, but Ygritte was a different story. She always did whatever she wanted, and rules never applied to her. It drove Jon crazy, but Arya liked the rebellion.

She hurried out of the room, telling the teacher she needed to go to the bathroom, and answered her phone as soon as she stepped into the hall.

"Hey Arya! So, we can't go dress shopping later this afternoon because we all have to go to this banquet thing for the law firm that we forgot about."

Arya deflated a bit. She too had forgotten that their father was having their annual partner's banquet.

"So are we going tomorrow then?"

"Nah. We have to go talk to the baker tomorrow. Sansa got a substitute for the rest her day, and we're just going to go now."

"Without me?!"

"Hell no! Why do you think I'm calling you? I need you there so that Sansa doesn't try to stuff me into some over-the-top ball gown!"

Arya laughed hard at that and started pacing back and forth past the lockers.

"Okay. I have lunch in twenty minutes. We are allowed to go off campus to eat. Just swing by and pick me up, and I'll just blow off the rest of my day."

Ygritte whooped. "Arya Stark! Such a badass! We'll be there in twenty!"

Arya glowed as she hung up the phone and went back inside her classroom. She felt as though she had earned the older girl's approval, and she loved the idea of that.

When the bell finally rang to dismiss them, Arya ran down the hallway towards the front doors. She saw Sansa's Mercedes pull up front, and she took the steps two at time to get there faster. Ygritte rolled down the window, grinning widely, but Sansa behind her look perturbed. Arya climbed in the back of the car.

"Arya, I don't like you skipping school. Maybe we could just take you out lunch and then drop you back off?"

"No way! I need my little sister with me for moral support and advice!"

Arya nodded emphatically in agreement with Ygritte. She saw a flicker of hurt go across Sansa's face, and Arya realized that her and Ygritte's closeness made her older sister feel left out sometimes.

"Come on, Sans, I hardly get to see you, and I was really looking to spending the day with you. I need some Gendry advice, and you're the best one to give it."

Sansa's face brightened at that, and she threw the car into gear. "Well, all right. I guess it won't hurt just to miss a few classes for today. But this is the _only_ time, okay?"

Arya nodded as Ygritte chimed in. "Yeah. You'll have plenty of time to skip school once you get to college!"

Arya laughed and looked out the window as the school disappeared from view. She didn't really want Gendry advice because she didn't really feel like talking about a subject that made her so agitated and confused today. She pulled out her phone and stared at his text again.

Sansa glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "If you're thinking about texting him, you should. Always follow your gut instinct."

"Yeah, go for it Arya! Always go after what you want! That's how I got Jon Snow to marry me."

Arya bit her lip and sent a "hey" back. She then thrust her phone inside her bag, feeling annoyed about the fluttering feeling she had in her chest. They pulled up in front of the bridal salon and walked in the door. A slim blonde lady greeted them.

"Hi, I'm Sansa Stark. I called yesterday to set up an appointment for my sister-in-law to be. Thank you so much again for squeezing us in!"

The lady smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. I'll start off by pulling a few dresses. What kind of style were you thinking?"

Sansa turned to look at Ygritte, who shrugged and gestured to her own outfit. "I have no idea. Sansa, I think you have more experience in the dress department." Indeed, Sansa was wearing a pretty emerald green dress with a beaded peter pan collar. Ygritte, on the other hand, was wearing tight black jeans, motorcycle boots, and one of Jon's flannel shirts. Arya had to admit that Ygritte still looked great without having to make any effort at all.

"Weeeellllll," Sansa said, thinking hard, "it's a beach wedding, so we're probably going to want something light and flowy. She doesn't like things that are too adorned, but maybe some crochet lace would be nice."

The saleslady nodded, and the two of them began expertly moving around the store picking out dresses. Ygritte moved over to the complimentary champagne, and Sansa began to pile dresses into Arya's arms. Ygritte snorted at the disgusted look on Arya's face and dug her phone out of her bag. She snapped a picture as Arya stuck her tongue out.

"Oh my god, your face! I'm sending this to you!" Ygritte sniggered as Arya rolled her eyes, but she was laughing, too.

The lady swooped in and put the dresses and Ygritte in a fitting room, leaving Arya and Sansa to sit on the couch outside and wait. Arya checked her phone and saw the picture from Ygritte and Gendry's reply. She opened Gendry's text first: "What are you up to?" She looked at the picture next and snorted, and sent it to Gendry, writing, "Working hard." She showed Sansa the image of her laden with gowns and looking disgruntled. Sansa smiled somewhat tensely before moving her eyes to the fitting room.

"What's with you Sans?"

Sansa looked over at her with stressed eyes and forced another smile.

"I'm sorry. It's nothing. I'm just feeling a little guilty. We have this wedding in a couple of weeks, and then next month is my engagement party, and then we'll have so much stuff to do to plan for my wedding. I just feel like with everything dad is dealing with and how stressed mom is, maybe I should put off the wedding for a year or so…"

"Sansa Stark, do NOT feel guilty for being happy! I saw how over the moon you were when Sandor proposed, and if you put off this wedding, I'll plan you one myself, and it's going to be held in our backyard!" Sansa laughed and protested against a backyard wedding, but she smiled a real smile as she looked at her little sister.

"Thanks, Arya."

"Of course. What are sisters for?"

"Picking out fabulous wedding dresses!" Ygritte shouted. She emerged wearing an ivory colored gown. It had a sweetheart neckline and wide straps with a slight cap sleeve that made her shoulders looked narrow and thin. Its fitted bodice tightened at the hips and then flared softly outwards. The whole thing was covered in pretty crocheted lace, and it looked so perfectly Ygritte that even Arya was impressed with Sansa's choice.

"I don't want a veil or anything, and I'm just going to go barefoot."

Sansa nodded, agreeing with her. Ygritte turned to grin at the saleslady.

"I don't need to try anything else on. We'll take it." The lady nodded, and she began to talk to them about rush ordering the gown because they needed it in two weeks.

Arya looked down at her phone and saw another text from Gendry. "Working up an appetite?"

She grinned and quickly typed back. "If you're paying."

"Where are you?"

She sent him the address.

"I'll be there in 10."

She moved over to Sansa and Ygritte, feeling excited. They had just decided to take the sample dress Ygritte had tried on because they didn't have time to order and fit it.

"It fits you pretty well. We'll just have my seamstress make a few adjustments, and it should be perfect", Sansa mused.

Ygritte signed some papers and they wrapped the dress for her.

* * *

They were walking out of the store when Gendry pulled up. Both Sansa and Ygritte shot her surprised looks, but Arya ignored them and gave them a quick wave before jumping into the passenger seat. Once she was inside, Gendry started to lean in to give her a kiss. She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she quickly turned away to grab her seatbelt. She buckled herself in and looked up to see Gendry looking at her, his expression unreadable.

They drove to the restaurant in silence, and Arya felt weirdly guilty the whole time. They pulled up, and Gendry wordlessly got out of the car and walked in, leaving her behind. She scrambled out behind him. _So he was mad at her, then_.

They were seated rather quickly, and Gendry moodily read through the menu, ignoring her. She felt badly and reached out to grab his hand, half expecting him to pull away.

He smiled at her instead and squeezed her hand. After that, the ice between them melted, and they fell into easy conversation, talking and laughing. When they'd finished eating, Gendry checked his watch.

"We've got to get you home. You have a banquet to get ready for."

"Ugh I keep forgetting about that! It's going to be so boring!"

"Maybe it won't be if you have a date. Want to go with me?"

Arya laughed. "It's not a dance, Gendry! I don't need a date."

Gendry's face hardened, and she knew she'd said the wrong thing.

"No, you just don't need me."

Arya hadn't said that, but she wondered if she didn't mean it. Ever since they had broken up, Arya found it hard to let people in.

"Gendry, I—"

"Just forget it, Arya," he snapped, standing up.

She rolled her eyes and got up to follow him.

They drove in silence, again, and Arya decided that she didn't much like hostility-filled car rides. She stared at his stubborn profile and found herself growing angrier and angrier at him. _Stupid bull-headed boy_.

They pulled up in front of her house, and she turned to look at him.

"You know, you try to act like you're there for me and that you understand me, but you keep freaking out at everything I do."

"That's because everything you do involves pushing me away! I can't be there for you if you don't want me around, Arya! I want to be around, but not if it's so you can keep pulling the rug out from under me!"

"So what, you think I'm leading you on?!"

"A little bit! Did I ever really mean anything to you, or am I just around to pass the time?"

"Stop being such a martyr! You're not completely innocent here!"

"I tried to make it right with you, but you wouldn't talk to me!"

"You didn't try that hard to make amends. You gave up on me pretty easily."

"That's what this is about isn't it? That I didn't fight hard enough for you? I fought for you and with you for a year, Arya. Can I ask you something? When are you going to stop testing me with everything I do? Because I can't take it much longer. Quite frankly, it's exhausting."

"Sorry I'm so much work!"

"Now who's being the martyr? You _are_ work, and you _are _worth it, but I have to know that I'm worth it, too."

"Stop making this about you!"

"Why? Because everything has to be about you? I always think of you first because I'm always terrified I'm going to lose you!"

"You're not losing me you stupid asshole!"

"You're right. I can't lose something that was never mine to begin with."

Arya's face went blank. He had hit a nerve, he could tell. He didn't quite understand what had happened between them, but he knew he was still furious with her. She got out of the car and slammed the door behind her. He didn't watch her go. He just slammed on the gas and sped away.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Arya sat on her couch. She slouched in her stupid dress and flipped through the TV channels. Nothing was on, so she put on the news. Her mind wandered as she thought back to her fight with Gendry. She knew she was being unfair to him, but hearing him say it made her feel terrible. And then he had said that she wasn't his. She knew he didn't mean like he didn't want her, but it still hurt her to think that Gendry doubted her feelings for him.

They were both wary of starting a relationship again, she realized. It broke her heart. She wanted to be with him, but she was too stubborn to tell him. Normally, after their fights, he was the first one to come out and apologize, but she had pushed him too far, this time. Part of her wanted him to still show up to the banquet tonight, but she knew that he wouldn't.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw the breaking news banner unfold across the bottom of the TV screen. She turned up the volume so she could hear the reporter.

"Tywin Lannister has just been found shot to death in his home. Police found him about six hours ago, and they are only just now releasing information to the public. They haven't revealed any suspects, yet, but widespread speculation is that his youngest son, Tyrion Lannister, is likely responsible. The two have a notably troubled past, and their notorious feud during the failed Blackwater merger showcased just how much animosity was between them. Rumor also has it that Tywin was having an affair with Tyrion's wife, Shae Lannister. No arrests have been made, yet, but we'll keep you posted as this story progresses.

They moved on to discuss the weather, and Arya thought about just how strange this development was. Just then, the doorbell rang. She got up to answer it. There, just a few inches shorter than her, stood Tyrion Lannister. He looked up at her with his differently colored eyes, sending chills down her spine.

"Is your father here? I think I need a lawyer."

* * *

**Dun Dun Dun. So I just realized that I keep ending with mini-cliffhangers. I don't do it on purpose! I just try to give myself a good transition to open the next chapter with. Don't worry, I'll resolve it in the next installment.**

**Thanks you guys, for reading. Y'all are seriously the best. Special shoutout to shshshsharina...you get me and my exposition struggles!**

**Happy Sunday, see y'all soon! xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**I keep meaning to take a break from this and work on my other story, but this one comes to me so easily, and honestly, it keeps me up at night, so I have no choice but to write it all down! Slight warning on this chapter. The end is a bit mature, but it's nothing too graphic. I think I can still get away with a T rating, but just be safe, I'm calling this chapter M!**

**Characters/original story belong to GRRM. I write this for pleasure and nothing else!**

* * *

The young Stark girl stared up at him with something akin to disgust, but there was a spark of curiosity there, too. People always said that the older Stark sister was the beautiful one, but the girl standing before him bore such a strong resemblance to the stunning girl Robert had been in love with all those years ago that he wondered how Sansa could possibly surpass her in looks.

_She was obviously unaware of her beauty_, he noted as she slouched in her dress and hunched her shoulders forward. She seemed uncomfortable with her looks, and Tyrion decided that she must have been an ugly child who had since grown into her features but not into herself. He was good at reading people; he had to be. At four foot six inches, he was an oddity, and he often attracted strange looks. When people stared at him, he stared back. He got good at seeing straight through people. It made him wise, and it made him cynical.

Part of his distrust of people came from his family. The whole lot of them were rotten to the core. Only Jamie was half-decent, but he had always been to easily controlled by their father. Self-indulgent, self-serving, and self-important, his family was motivated solely by greed and didn't worry themselves with the consequences.

Consequences did exist, however, and one of them was standing right in from of him. The Stark girl's unwelcome look was not an unfamiliar sight. People knew what his family was capable of, and this girl clearly thought she knew what he was capable of.

"You know, it's quite rude to not invite guests inside. Dangerous, too, if that guest happens to be a wanted man."

Violent emotions skittered across her face before settling into a wall of hostility.

"Well, it's also rude to show up uninvited on someone's doorstep. And you're not a wanted man, yet."

He grinned and decided that he liked Arya Stark. Suddenly, a voice came from behind her.

"Arya? Who was at the door?"

Theon Greyjoy stepped into the doorway, his face darkening into a scowl when he saw who stood there. He stepped protectively in front of the girl. The Greyjoy boy was not exceptionally bright, but he had always been a mostly good kid. Like Tyrion, he'd had trouble with his father. When he was twelve, he ran away from home, and the Starks had taken him in. He was a bit of a deadbeat; he pinged from job to job, but he was undeniably earnest in his endeavors. _The Starks certainly had an interesting collection of family members._

"What do _you_ want?" He spat at Tyrion.

"I would speak with Mr. Eddard Stark."

"Well he wouldn't speak with you. Lannisters aren't welcome here."

"Ah, so no Lannisters are allowed here then?" Tyrion nodded seriously. "I see. In fact, that's a very good policy. We're not exactly the most palatable lot to have around. My family does subsist largely on malfeasance and machinations, and, apparently, in my case, murder."

"So you did do it then?" Arya blurted, nudging out from behind Theon.

Tyrion again held her in his gaze.

"Now I didn't say that. It's just important to confront the worst that people think of you. You have to embrace your weaknesses so that they become strengths. Take my eyes, for example. Most people are unnerved by them because they are two different colors, so I tell them that they allow me to see the light and dark in people."

"Doesn't that make them more unnerved by them?" Tyrion didn't look at Theon when he'd asked the stupid question. He looked instead at Arya, and he knew she understood. You had to own what was different about you and make people fear it so that you could control the effect you had on them.

"Take, oh, Petyr Baelish, the new CFO of Fury Enterprises, for example. I see a lot of darkness in him. He's the sort of man who would do anything to get his little fingers wrapped around company money. And I'd say he wouldn't be too far above killing anyone who stood in his way or kept him from getting what he thought was his fair share."

"So why do you need Ned?"

"Don't you watch the news, boy? They're going to start looking at me hard for the murder of Tywin Lannister, and I need an attorney fast."

"He doesn't practice criminal law."

"Oh, but that's the beauty of being the founding partner of a law firm. You have access to people who _do_ practice that kind of law."

"Why would we ever help you?"

"My family is very sneaky and very slippery. They get involved in things they shouldn't, and it's very hard to pin them down on something. Those who would try to form a case against them would find it very hard to get charges to stick."

"Is that a threat?" Theon blustered. Tyrion shook his head, his eyes still on the girl. Her eyes lit up in understanding and she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I _know_ that we have the resources to help you, but what could you possibly have to offer us about corruption at Fury?"

"Robert may have been president of the company, but my father was the CEO. He held all of the _real_ power, and he made all of the _real_ decisions, both on and off the books."

Arya nodded slowly.

"My father's getting ready for his banquet right now. We're supposed to be meeting him soon. He can't see you tonight, but I think he has an appointment open tomorrow morning. He'll call you."

Tyrion gave a slight bow of the head. "Thank you, girl. I shall see him tomorrow."

* * *

Theon drove Arya, Bran, and Rickon over to the hotel in enraged silence. He was angry at her, Arya knew, but she couldn't bring herself to care. _Just add him to the list of people who are upset with me_, the thought somewhat bitterly. Like it or not, Arya couldn't refuse Tyrion if he was able to help her father. Bran watched her with knowing eyes.

He was by far the most intelligent of the Stark children, and he was always weirdly attuned to what other people were thinking and feeling. Arya liked to tease him that he had the gift of pure empathy just like the guy on TV who tracked serial killers. Sometimes, she wondered if the assessment wasn't far off.

"'Lannister' isn't exactly synonymous with 'trustworthy,' you know." He didn't sound accusatory, just thoughtful. "But I do feel as though Tyrion will do right by us. He's suffered a lot at the hands of his family."

Theon snorted, finally speaking. "The whole family's sketchy, and we shouldn't have anything to do with any of them!"

Arya didn't say anything, and all of them let the conversation drop as they pulled up to the hotel. The valet took their car, and they made their way into the ballroom where the banquet was being held. Once inside, Theon made a beeline for Jon and Ygritte who were pigging out on the buffet. Arya spotted her parents greeting people a ways away, looking happier than she'd seen them in a while. Even Robb and Jeyne beside them looked happy. Her mother waved when she saw them. Arya waved back and maneuvered through the crowd, hoping against hope that she would find Gendry.

She hated coming to this every year. Officially, the banquet was held to celebrate the successes of the law firm and showcase the uprising talent they had in their new attorneys and interns. More than anything, it was for interns of the firm to come and duke it out for a job offer and for the existing attorneys to network their way to a promotion. It was less of a pageant and more of a tourney, and Arya was bored to death having to watch it.

She spotted Sansa and Sandor come in, noticing the way heads turned to look at her sister, who was gorgeous in a periwinkle sheath. She held on to Sandor's arm, her large diamond ring prominently on display. When she saw Arya, she hurried over and pulled her into a hug. Sandor nodded from over Sansa's shoulder.

Arya navigated them both to an empty table and told them what had happened with Tyrion. Sansa's eyes were wide, but Sandor looked impassive.

"What do you think?" Arya asked when she was finished her story.

Sansa shook her head. "I don't know. Tyrion was always civil to me, and his wife was always kind when she didn't have to be. He didn't get along with his father, but I don't think he would kill him. What do you think, Sandor?"

The big man shifted in his chair a bit and frowned slightly. "He isn't a violent man. He uses his mind as his weapon instead. From what I could see when I worked there, there was a lot of corruption in that company. A lot of people stand to gain from Tywin's death, just like a lot of people stood to gain from Robert's. I'm not so sure the two are unrelated."

Sansa looked troubled at that, and she seized Sandor's hand. He squeezed it back reassuringly and cupped her face with his other hand before placing a light kiss on her lips. He whispered something to her, but it was too soft for Arya to hear. Seeing the two of them together made her heart ache. All of her siblings seemed so happy. Even Bran, who had begun to spend more and more time with his older friend, Meera. She was sure the two were dating or at least well on their way to doing so.

Just then, her father walked up to the stage and asked everyone to be seated so that the speeches could begin.

* * *

When the dinner was finally, _finally_ over, Arya jumped up and looked for Ygritte, an idea forming in her head. She saw her a few tables away and ran over. She pulled the older girl aside.

"I need you to please take Jon home with you tonight."

The redhead smiled, her eyes dancing. "Way ahead of you! What other reason could I have for getting him drunk other than to take advantage of him?" She laughed and motioned over to Jon who was looking a touch unsteady on his feet.

Arya joined her with slightly breathless laughter. "You're the best!"

She saw Sandor and Sansa leaving, and she moved to follow them, pulling Theon aside and quickly telling him that she was spending the night at Sansa's. He nodded and shrugged her off, clearly still annoyed. Arya didn't care at the moment. Her heart was currently racing with nerves.

The valet had just pulled up with Sandor's car when she reached them.

"Sansa! If mom and dad ask, I spend the night at your apartment tonight!" Sansa looked unsure when Sandor placed his arm around her and nodded at Arya.

"You spent the night at Sansa's," he repeated.

Sansa bit her lip and looked knowingly at her sister.

"Do you need us to drop you off at his apartment?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

* * *

Gendry heard the front door open and knew that Jon must have made it home. He had tried to go to bed early tonight, but he was still stewing from his fight with Arya. She made his life so difficult sometimes, always greeting him with belligerence and resistance. _And she calls me stubborn_.

He closed his eyes, finally starting to feel drowsy, when he heard his door open. Gendry opened his eyes suspiciously. Jon never came into his room without knocking, and he especially didn't come in this late at night. His heart stopped beating when he saw her tiny figure illuminated in the moonlight.

"Arya. What are you doing here?"

"Well first, I have to get out of this dress." He watched as she unzipped the short black dress she had on and let it slide to the floor. Then, she silently slipped into bed so she was lying on her stomach beside him. He tried not to think about the fact that she was inches from him, clad only in her underwear.

"So, I have a problem," she whispered.

"And what would that be?" he replied, annoyed. He was tired of Arya's games, and he especially didn't feel like playing tonight.

"Well there's this guy I used to date. Really stupid. Really stubborn. Sort of okay-looking." Gendry rolled his eyes, but he didn't turn his head away from her. "Well anyway, this guy, he drove me crazy. But it in a good way, I think. He was funny, and he took care of me, even when I didn't want him to. And okay, he was actually really good looking. He fought with me a lot, but it was good because he would call me on my shit and tell me when I was being a pain in the ass. Which I was. A lot.

"Well, me and this guy, we were together, and we were pretty happy, and when I say pretty happy, I mean that it was the happiest I've ever been in my whole life. But things started to go wrong. Some pretty bad stuff started happening with my family. I started feeling like everyone was abandoning me, and I took it out on him. I started pulling away because I was scared. I wanted to leave him before he left me.

"I shut him out, and I pushed him away. But it wasn't entirely my fault. He didn't fight for me. He let me go. He was mad at me because he thought I didn't trust him. And now, we're not together, and it's driving me crazy. In a bad way. Now, things are getting confusing again, and the only person I want to talk to his him. So here's my problem: I think I finally pushed him too far, and I think I've lost him."

Gendry looked over at her and saw her eyes shining in the darkness, and he knew they weren't dry. He reached out to stroke her face.

"Did I lose him?"

"No."

He moved closer to her and closed the distance between them. She placed her hand over the one holding her cheek.

"Do you want me to go?"

"No."

He kissed her carefully, knowing how vulnerable she had just made herself. She kissed him back easily and sighed into his mouth. He deepened the kiss, running his tongue across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and let him in. Her hand slid down his arm and up to his cheek. She kissed him slowly, sucking on his lower lip and biting it slightly. He moaned and kissed her more desperately. She draped one of her legs around him, anchoring their hips together. Their lips broke apart slightly, and they stared at each other, breathing heavily.

There were tears on her cheeks, and he kissed them away, moving down her jawline. As he traced kisses down her neck, he shifted so that he was positioned above her. Arya shivered and snaked her hands down to the bottom of his shirt and slipped her hands beneath it. He moved back to her lips and kissed her greedily. She ran her hands over his chest and dug her fingers into his shoulders. He moved away from her momentarily, sitting up slightly as he pulled his shirt off. Her hands fell from his shoulders to his hips, and her fingers began to playfully tug at the waistband of his boxers.

He slipped out of them as she wiggled out of her own underwear. He pulled her to him again, and he kissed her gently. He chuckled as she returned the kiss more urgently. He moved on top of her again and guided himself into her. She whimpered slightly, and he felt his need increase. He pulled her up so that they were both sitting, and her legs came around to straddle him.

They gave each other long and lingering kisses, thrusting slowly into one another. Their movements gradually increased and he brought his lips down to suck on her pulse point. She was moaning freely, and she gripped the back of his head tightly, needing to feel her release.

They reached their climaxes at the same time, both shuddering as their bodies wracked with pleasure. They stayed connected for a time after, and she stared into his eyes as he ran his hands up and down her back.

As she looked into his deep blue eyes, she felt a strange feeling come over her. Her heart felt like it was beating at the base of her throat, and it was racing so fast that she felt lightheaded. He was looking at her with such tenderness that it scared her, and she worried that she would inevitably do something to mess this up. Even as she felt him still inside of her, she feared the distance that could come between them if she let him slip away again. He brought his hand up to her cheek, running his thumb across it. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. She suddenly felt tired, so tired.

He watched her gray eyes flutter shut and felt her body relax as sleep came to her. He placed a final kiss on her nose before he finally pulled out of her. He laid her down softly before laying down himself. She turned to him in her sleep and nestled her head into his chest. He wrapped her in his arms and wondered how such a little thing could cause as much trouble as she did. He smiled into her hair. Despite it all, she was worth it.

* * *

**So I really wasn't expecting to go there this soon, but when I start writing this, I just sort of let the characters take over, and this is apparently what they wanted to do lol. But in all seriousness, I've never written anything like that before. I wanted to keep it tame; hopefully it's not cringe-inducingly awful!**

**I always hate when books or TV shows do the annoying break-up/make-up or will they/won't they thing, so I'm telling you right now, Gendrya is officially a thing, and they're going to be a legit couple. Not to say they won't have their fights, (it IS Gendry and Arya after all!) but I am saying that you won't be subjected to the awfulness of them fighting constantly and angsting over whether they're going to be together or not.**

**Fun fact that it is probably only fun to me, but I'm going to share it with you regardless: I listened to "If You Fall (Fall in Love)" by Select Start and Tyler Ward's cover of Rihanna's "Stay" while writing the Gendrya scene. I know. I'm so lame and sentimental and waaaay too emotionally involved. Check 'em out if you want!**

**Thanks you guys for the follows and reviews. Veridissima, you are amazing for commenting on every chapter for both of my stories. I appreciate you so much, you don't even know.**


	8. Chapter 8

**This was originally a part of the previous chapter, but I didn't want to end that scene with this, so I decided to make it separate. I was planning on holding onto this and posting it tomorrow so I could be lazy and not have to update. Then I changed my mind and decided to post it. And that is the fascinating story of how I decided to post two in one day. **

**This one's short and sweet!**

**We all know how this goes: I own nothing, (GRRM does) and I don't gain anything from this.**

* * *

Arya's phone rang shrilly, jarring both Gendry and Arya from sleep. Arya glanced at the alarm clock. School started in fifteen minutes. She was definitely going to miss first period at least. She looked around for her phone but couldn't find it. It stopped ringing. She hoped desperately that it wasn't her mother trying to reach her.

The phone started bleating again seconds later. Gendry groaned and sat up beside her. He hated mornings. He rubbed his face tiredly as Arya finally located her phone under the bed. She answered it on the second-to-last ring.

"Arya thank god! I've been calling you all morning! Mom called me to check on you, but I told her you were in the shower and running late for school. So you should be safe."

Gendry got out of bed, and she tried to focus on what Sansa was saying instead of Gendry's naked self cruising around the room.

"Thanks, Sans," Arya said after a slightly delayed pause.

"It's fine. Just come to the door, okay?" Sansa sounded harassed, and Arya looked around for something to put on. She pulled on her underwear and Gendry threw her one of his shirts.

She hefted herself out of bed and ran to the front door, pulling on Gendry's shirt as she went. When she opened it, Sansa stood on the other side with a bundle of clothes and a look of disapproval. She shoved the clothes at Arya and crossed her arms.

"I don't like being involved in your lies, Arya."

Arya deflated a bit. Sansa was a good sister, and she felt bad for causing her so much stress.

"I'm sorry, Sans, really. Thank you so much."

Sansa stared sternly at her for a few minutes before her gaze shifted over Arya's shoulder. Gendry was now half-dressed and was on his way to make coffee. As Sansa took in Gendry's shirtlessness, she couldn't help but grin at her little sister.

"I can't say I don't get. Just think things through next time, okay? I've got to get to work, but we're definitely talking later, okay? Are you coming with us to pick out Ygritte's cake?"

Arya nodded and hugged Sansa. Her older sister gave her one last smile before heading out.

Arya closed the door, heaving a huge sigh of relief. She could feel Gendry's gaze on her as she scooted into the bathroom. Once inside, Arya went through what Sansa had brought her. As she took in Sansa's jeans, she realized that her sister had probably forgotten that she was a foot taller than her. Arya rolled her eyes and set aside the too-long jeans. She snorted at the dress Sansa had included, and finally settled on a pair of denim shorts. She put them on quickly and rolled the legs so they were a little shorter. None of Sansa's shirts fit her correctly, so she decided to keep on the light grey henley that Gendry had given her.

She glanced in the mirror and saw that her hair was an absolute wreck. She took out the few remaining hair pins from her banquet up-do and re-pinned it into a messy bun. The make-up her mother had applied for last night's dinner was smudged, and she quickly scrubbed it off.

She stepped out of the bathroom and went to find Gendry in the kitchen. He wordlessly handed her a cup of coffee. She accepted it and hefted herself on top of the counter. She studied the opposite wall, looking anywhere but at him. He continued to watch her, and only spoke when she finally wrenched her gaze over to him.

"Are we going to talk about last night?"

Arya shrugged. "What's there to talk about?"

"We went from you not talking to me, to us starting to be friends again, to a huge fight, and then…that."

"And?"

"It just feels really fast." Arya glanced up at him at that, and he quickly continued. "Not that I didn't want it…I just want to make sure that something else isn't going on. I don't want that to be your way of escaping some other stress in your life."

Arya looked at him for a really long time. "I know it feels fast to you, but for me, it's been a long time coming. I—" She stopped, at a loss for how to continue. He waited patiently for her to go on.

"When I went to Braavos, I was a wreck. I felt like I had lost my whole family, and I had just lost you. I didn't really feel like myself anymore. I didn't know anyone up there, and I didn't try to get to know anyone. I was just sort of faceless. I was no one up there.

"Sansa came to see me a few months in. She had just started dating Sandor, and she was happier than I had ever seen her. It made me think of how unhappy I was without you. I almost called you."

"Why didn't you?"

"I was so mad at you. I kept thinking about that night you let me drive away from you and go to Braavos. I thought it was what you wanted."

Gendry shook his head. "I was _furious_ with you, but if you had called, I would have driven to wherever you were."

"I didn't know that…Gendry, I was a mess. If it wasn't for Sansa, I don't think I ever would have come home. She visited me a lot, and sometimes Sandor would come with her. That's why the three of us are so close. Anyway, watching Sandor and Sansa together was hard. Even then, it was obvious how much he loved her, and the way he looked at her, it reminded me of the way you used to look at me…it was how you looked at me last night.

"After Sansa graduated college, Sandor took her back to Winterfell, but I wasn't ready to come home yet. She would call me all the time and visit a lot, and she would tell me how everyone in our family was doing. And she told me that you were travelling a lot for work, and that when you did come home to Winterfell, it was never for long. I felt like there was nothing for me to come home to. Everyone was moving on without me. So I tried to forget everything that happened and start completely over."

"So why did you come home?"

"Sansa told me that you'd come back to Winterfell for good. And I wanted to see you again. The whole time I was gone, I alternated between being super pissed at you and missing you like hell, and I felt like I needed to see you again, if only to get closure. I decided that I couldn't start a new life without you if I didn't completely close the book on you. What I wasn't expecting was how strongly you would affect me. I realized that despite all the anger and betrayal, what I wanted more than anything was you. And you know that I'm not very good at patience."

Arya shrugged. "I can't explain it Gendry, but it looks like you're stuck with me."

She swung her legs, banging them against the cabinet beneath the counter. Gendry finally moved towards her and stood between her legs, his hands on her thighs.

"Sounds good to me." And he kissed her. She started to return the kiss when her eyes flew open.

"Shit! I have to be at school! I have thirty minutes to make it to second period! And I have to stop at home first to get my books. And some shoes because I am _not_ wearing the heels from last night. Mom should be at physical therapy with Bran, so the house will be empty."

Gendry sighed. "I'll drive you."

She leapt off the counter, and he followed her to the door. She turned to look at him.

"Not that I don't want to show off my super-hot boyfriend, but you should probably put a shirt on."

He nodded and ran to his room to throw on a shirt. When he jogged back, he was grinning.

"So I'm your boyfriend now? Do I get a say in it?" he teased.

"None."

"So you're the boss?" Arya nodded, laughing. "But you got to call all the shots the first time too!" Gendry protested, chuckling.

"Well, you shouldn't have spoiled me. I expect it now! Now stop griping and hurry your ass up! I won't have you ruining my future by making me late."

"_You_ hurry _your_ ass up!" He smacked her on the butt as she walked out the door. She yelped and punched him on the arm as he locked up. Laughingly, he grabbed her and hefted over his shoulder. He carried her down the hall and to his car, he bare feet kicking him the whole way.

* * *

**A SanSan chapter is coming, then a Bran one, and then we are FINALLY going to experience Jon and Ygritte's wedding week.**

**Thanks for the support. This wouldn't be half as fun without y'all! xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

**This one took a while to write for some reason. I hope this isn't dragging. Sometimes, when it doesn't come easy, I get discouraged. But I will persevere!**

**GRRM owns the characters and concepts! I don't get anything for this!**

* * *

Sansa sighed as she dug through the closet.

"Sandor?"

He grunted from over on the bed where he was scrolling through emails on his laptop.

"Have you seen my shoes?"

He looked incredulously up at her before sweeping his arm over the room, gesturing to the countless pairs of shoes scattered across the floor. Sansa laughed, realizing that her question was rather vague.

"I meant those black heels. Remember, my Jimmy Choos? The strappy ones, though. Not the closed-toe ones."

Now it was Sandor's turn to sigh.

"Sweetheart, I don't know what you're talking about, but maybe they're at _your_ apartment."

She groaned. "I bet you're right. I hate splitting my closet between two apartments! I never know where anything is!"

Sandor's eyes swept over the staggering amount of clothes she had crammed in his closet and dresser.

"I can't believe this is only half of your clothes. I don't know where we're going to put all of this when we move into our new house…"

Sansa grinned at him. She and Sandor had decided to look for a house after they were married because it was too stressful to do that and plan the wedding at the same time. Even though it was a long way off, she was excited to really start building a life with Sandor.

"I don't know why we even have separate apartments at this point, anyway," he continued. "I mean, you spend most nights over here anyway."

"It wouldn't be proper for us to share. Plus, it was the only way to appease my father when he first found out we were dating."

"But that was six months ago, and we had been together for a year before that, anyway."

"It's not my fault that my parents have old fashioned ways!" She finally gave up on looking for her shoes and started flipping through her clothes. "I'll just have to wear another dress."

"What are chirping about?"

"Sandor, we have to chaperone Rickon's dance tonight, remember?" She'd told him about it on Monday, but it had been a long and stressful week for both of them, and she realized that he'd probably forgotten.

"Damn, is that tonight?"

She laughed slightly, "Yes! I told you Friday night! So get in the shower and get ready!"

She unzipped her dress to change into another one. She stood in her underwear for a minute, still considering what she should wear. Sandor hefted himself off the bed and came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her neck, his hands trailing down. She turned around and kissed him lightly on the lips. He pressed her against the dresser and kissed her hard. She slipped his shirt off of him as he lifted her and placed her on top of the dresser. She wrapped her long legs around his waist and pulled him closer.

Their kissing became more desperate and frenzied when, suddenly, there came a pounding on the front door. Sandor made a noise of frustration as Sansa pushed him away, giggling. "Go shower!" Sandor moved away, grumbling, and Sansa struggled into a dress and hurried for the door.

She opened it to find Arya grinning up at her with Gendry standing behind her, his hand resting lightly on her waist. She pushed her way in without so much as a hello, and Gendry followed behind, smiling apologetically at Sansa.

"Arya, Sandor and I have to leave in twenty minutes to go pick up Rickon for the dance!"

"We're chaperoning with you! Mom and Dad had to cancel because Dad's meeting with Tyrion tonight."

"I thought they were supposed to meet Tuesday morning."

"I forgot to tell Dad, and he didn't have time all week. Tyrion insisted Dad be part of his council even though he does corporate law, so they're meeting now."

Sansa took in Arya's black jeans and t-shirt. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her sister's hand, dragging her into her room. Gendry looked fine in his dark jeans and white button-down, but Arya definitely needed her help. Gendry flopped onto the couch in the living room to wait for the girls.

Back in the bedroom, Sansa tore through her clothes, finally throwing a short-sleeve silk top at her sister. She grabbed a pair of heels and thrust them at her, too. Arya made a face at both, but put them on anyway.

She balked when Sansa pulled out her makeup, but she knew better than to argue with Sansa, so she just closed her eyes and let her older sister go. She heard a door open and figured it was Gendry coming in to check on her. She opened her eyes so she could make a face at him.

"Oh." She heard Sansa gasp. "Arya don't look—!"

But it was too late. She screamed at the same time Sandor yelled in surprise, neither one of them prepared for her to see him naked. She threw her hands over her eyes and Sandor grabbed his clothes and yanked them on. When Arya looked up, she saw Sandor looking disgruntled and annoyed. Sansa was pink and couldn't seem to stop giggling. Gendry burst in, looking concerned.

"Arya, are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine…I'm just getting SCARRED FOR LIFE!" This only caused Sansa to burst into a fresh round of giggles. She threw a hand over her mouth, trying to get herself under control. Gendry looked confused, and Arya briefly told him the story.

He, too, laughed, but stopped quickly when he caught sight of Sandor's glower. Arya punched him in the arm. Sansa slipped on her shoes, still laughing slightly and ushered them all out of the apartment.

* * *

Rickon paced around his living room nervously. He adjusted his bowtie and smoothed his hair continuously. His mother hovered nervously behind him, looking out the window every few minutes. She only settled when his dad walked in and placed an arm around her shoulder. Bran and Meera were in the next room studying, and he went to go see them, wanting to be somewhere calm for a minute.

Bran glanced up at him, smiling kindly. "I take it she isn't here yet?" Rickon shook his head.

"Neither are Sandor and Sansa. They're supposed to take us to the dance!"

"I'm sure they'll be here soon," Bran said reassuringly.

"You look very nice, Rickon," Meera offered.

He nodded his thanks and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the doorbell ring. He ran back into the living room to find his parents in a kiss.

"Ugh! Yuck!" They moved apart and smiled at Rickon. He rolled his eyes but didn't gripe anymore. Secretly, he was glad to see his parents together again. His dad was finally spending more time at home, and his mom seemed happier and less stressed for it.

The doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it!" Robb shouted from the kitchen.

He walked in with Sandor and Sansa a few minutes later, laughing with Sansa as Sandor looked annoyed behind them.

"…so Arya won't stop going on about it, and I think it's upsetting Sandor, poor thing!" Sansa giggled, finishing whatever story she was telling. Robb guffawed loudly and slapped Sandor on the back.

"Actually," Sansa continued, "I don't know where Arya and Gendry are. They left with us, and I thought they followed behind us pretty closely."

"We're here!" Arya shouted. Rickon laughed when he saw Gendry over her shoulder. He had lipstick all over his face, something Robb was quick to gleefully point out. Arya's face split into a devilish grin, her eyes dancing.

"That's why I hate make-up!" she exclaimed as she helped Gendry wipe it off. Gendry shot a nervous look at their parents, and Rickon could tell his mom was trying not laugh. His dad moved over and shook Gendry's hand.

"Good to see you again, Gendry."

"You as well, sir."

They were spared any more awkwardness when the doorbell rang again. As Ned went to open it, Jon and Ygritte came down the stairs. They had been Rickon's first choice for chaperones, but Jon's friend Sam had gotten them last-minute concert tickets and they were going there instead. They had come to see him off to the dance before heading out themselves.

Jon ruffled his hair and plopped on the couch, and Ygritte settled herself into his lap, not caring that she was surrounded by his family. Sansa caught sight of Rickon and squealed, running over to give him a hug and take his picture. She thrust the camera at Sandor, and he indulgently began snapping pictures of her and Rickon.

"Sansa, stop!"

"It's your first dance, Rickon! We have to document this!"

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and another hug, and he groaned, trying to get away from her. He heard a giggle and looked up to see Shireen standing next to her father and his new girlfriend.

Before he could even say anything, Sansa had rushed over to her, exclaiming how pretty she looked.

"Sansa. Chill out. Let her breathe!"

Rickon was grateful to Arya for saying that, and he shot her a smile telling her as much. She winked at him and he walked over to Shireen, only stumbling a bit out of nervousness.

"You _do_ look nice," he said under his breath. He noticed that she seemed to light up at that, and he smiled with a touch less nervousness.

Stannis stood rigidly in the doorway, watching the two of them, unsmiling. He had always been a rather hard man, but his recent failure in business had made him even more unwelcoming. Melisandre stood beside him, smiling enigmatically at Gendry and Arya. For their part, they were too busy talking and laughing with Jon and Ygritte to notice the strange, red-haired woman's stare.

Sansa made them take a billion pictures with every imaginable grouping of people. Rickon was embarrassed and grew increasingly annoyed. Sandor was smiling at her enthusiasm, but he noticed Rickon's irritation soon enough, and he gently reined her in, suggesting that they might want to actually head to the dance.

Rickon and Shireen walked out the front door with the rest of the family spilling out behind them. Melisandre stepped over to where Gendry and Arya were standing. She stared intensely at Gendry.

"You have a very interesting aura. Very authoritative. Power runs through your veins."

Gendry looked supremely uncomfortable.

"What the hell does that mean?" Arya yelled.

Rickon glanced at Shireen and saw her laughing. She had always admired Arya, he knew, and she had always told him how strange she found Melisandre. He felt bad for Shireen, having to live in such strange circumstances. Melisandre didn't answer, and Rickon watched Gendry maneuver Arya away from the red woman and into his car. Stannis acted as though nothing had happened.

Instead, he turned to look at Rickon.

"Take care of my daughter. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you personally responsible." He glanced at Sandor. "See that she's home by eleven." Sandor's face hardened. He hated being bossed around, Rickon knew, especially by Baratheons.

Sansa took his arm and guided him to the car. He helped her in and then got in himself. Rickon, too, walked Shireen over to the car, opening the back door for her. He got in on the other side, and their car set off for the dance. Rickon felt the familiar swoop of nerves. He waved at his family before turning to smile at Shireen.

* * *

Bran rolled out onto the porch, watching quietly as his family said goodbye to Rickon. He glanced up at Meera, and he found her already looking down at him. He smiled sadly, and Meera reached over and squeezed his shoulder. She knew how isolated his sometimes felt from his family, and he was grateful to have her around.

Jon and Ygritte hugged everyone goodbye and then waved up at him before they headed off to the concert. Just as their car pulled away, another one pulled up. Ned and Catelyn were talking to Stannis and Melisandre, so they didn't notice when Tyrion got out of the car. He toddled around the front of the car and opened the passenger door.

A pretty, dark complexioned, black haired woman got out of the car. Bran figured it must be his wife, Shae. The couple made their way over to Ned, holding hands as they went. Bran was too far away to hear what they were saying, but he could read their body language, and he didn't miss the way everyone stilled awkwardly as Stannis and Tyrion laid eyes on each other.

He watched as Stannis's jaw tightened. Even Melisandre, who seemed unflappable, had tinges of anger about her. They exchanged some visibly tense words before Stannis and Melisandre left too.

Robb and Ned shook Tyrion's hand and Catelyn greeted Shae. The five adults moved toward the house. As Tyrion passed Bran, he paused. The two stared into each other's eyes for a long time. Tyrion glanced away first, and then Bran glanced up at Shae. Her eyes were worried, he could tell. Ned cleared his throat, and they all shifted uncomfortably.

He and Meera went inside first, going back to studying. As they sat at the table, he could feel her eyes upon him.

"Do you think he did it?"

He met Meera's eyes and hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure. I think he and his wife did _something_ bad, I'm just not so sure it's murder." He paused, conflicted. Meera knew him well, though, and prompted him to continue.

"The Lannisters are always harbingers of trouble, and I can't help but wonder what Tyrion just brought to our doorstep."

* * *

**Next chapter is a long one! We get to see what goes on at the dance, and Gendrya and SanSan might just have a blast, much to Rickon's chagrin.**

**We'll also hear from Tyrion...sketchy, sketchy!**

**Bran, too, will finally get more than a few sentences. I've been purposely isolating him, but it's sad all the same!**

**Thanks for the favs/follows/reviews y'all! xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Woo another one! This one was fun. Mostly light and fluffy, and I think I FINALLY got all of the characters fleshed out. There are still some introductions to make a little down the line (a certain white haired mother-of-dragons has been suspiciously silent as has a very tall blonde...) Meera is 18 just beeteedubs.**

**As per usual, GRRM is the mastermind behind it all, and I'm just a huge fan who makes no profit from this.**

* * *

Ned Stark was exhausted. In the past year and a half, he had buried two friends, almost lost a daughter, actually lost one for a while, had a son paralyzed, almost had to send his youngest son to a behavioral corrections facility, been hospitalized himself, and had his oldest son break an engagement to marry a woman he'd gotten pregnant out of wedlock. He stared at Robb sadly. He felt terrible that the boy had come to disillusion so young.

He also felt personally responsible for some of Robb's choices. He'd pressured Robb to marry the Frey girl so that her father would be more willing to do business with them. Walder Frey was a largely influential man, and he had been having legal problems with Twin's Crossing, his import/export business that dealt mainly with overseas shipping. Frey was notoriously untrusting of outsiders, but he had hinted that should he and the Starks become family, he would be more than willing to bring them into the fold.

Robb was a good son, and he had agreed to do as his father asked. Ned had known Robb wasn't thrilled with the match, but he was so out of touch with his family at that point, he hadn't realize just how unhappy his oldest son was. As the family had started to unravel, it had fallen to Robb to hold it together. That coupled with the stress of the job had caused Robb to crack. Jeyne had just been there for him at just the right time. Robb had done right by her and married her, but it broke Ned's heart to think that any child of his had settled for anything less than true love.

Robb looked up and met his eyes, giving him a quick half-smile. Ned smiled grimly back. This was unpleasant business, and he was glad to have his son with him. He turned to the little man and found him already studying him. Ned felt at once discomfited. Tyrion had a tendency to catch on to people's weaknesses rather quickly.

"Mr. Stark, thank you so much for seeing me. As I'm sure you can imagine, it's not been the easiest week for us." He motioned to his wife then, and she came forward, placing her hand on Tyrion's shoulder. She looked at Ned with dark, untrusting eyes.

Ned bowed his head. "Not at all. You are very welcome in our home."

"You can't be too selective if you let in the likes of Stannis Baratheon." Tyrion chuckled at his wife's question but looked at Ned with the question in his eyes all the same.

"My son is friends with his daughter. It's a necessary association with her father, I'm afraid."

Tyrion looked appeased at that, and even Shae softened her look.

"Please, sit down." They were in Ned's office. Robb and Ned were on one side of the desk, and Tyrion and Shae seated themselves on the other side.

"I already had the pleasure of speaking with your daughter. I was to understand you could procure an attorney for me."

Ned nodded. "Bronn Black has agreed to be your defender, if need be. From what I understand, there is no case against you yet. There is no hard evidence implicating you. The way I see it, the only thing really working against you is your public image. Your sister was married to Robert, and Jon Arryn was very vocal about his issues with your family just before his death. And then there is all of the nasty business with your father. It's no secret that the two of you disliked each other—"

"We hated each other. Call it what it is. My mother died giving birth to me, and he wished every day since then to trade my life for hers."

Ned paused, letting that sink in. "Then there's the unpleasantness that happened during the Blackwater merger." He stared at the scar running across Tyrion's face. The man had never said what had caused it, but the majority of the rumors credited Tywin with inflicting it. Tyrion touched it, knowing what Ned was thinking but would never ask.

"And then there are the rumors about my wife and my father."

Shae glowered. "As if I would ever touch that man!"

"Mr. Stark, forgive me, but your parents and siblings are dead, and your children love you, so you have no concept of the acute misery that is living with your flesh and blood and their constant attempts to undermine you. Cersei is a drunk, and unfortunately, the alcohol provides her with cunning and cruelty in equal measure. My wife is not a whore. I have no doubt that _that_ stream of gossip originated from the particularly poisonous well that is my sister.

"I think this is less about _my _public image and more about my family's reputation. If you'll notice, no one seems especially upset that Tywin Lannister is six feet under. And we both know the special level of evil that Joffrey is. The public is practically begging for one of us to go down, and I just have the unfortunate privilege of being positioned on the brink.

"All the prosecution needs is one good push, and I'm done for. I'm telling you now, I didn't kill my father, but I know who did. It's the same person who killed Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn. Now, I don't know the identity of this killer, but if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on Petyr Baelish."

Something flashed in his eyes when he said that, and Ned didn't know what to think.

"I'm not the prosecuting attorney. I'm just building a corporate fraud case against Fury Enterprises. I have a feeling that your sister's more involved than you'd like to admit, and seeing how your brother's in the FBI, I think he's going to prove to be a problem."

Tyrion shook his head. "Jamie is not speaking to my sister. He'll help you in any way he can. Now, I have access to records that prove that the executives at Fury Enterprises were involved in fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement. Quite the laundry list. I'll hand them over to the FBI. These are dangerous people. You shouldn't be more involved than you have to be."

Ned thanked him sincerely. "You're going in for police questioning on Monday, right?" Tyrion nodded.

"Bronn will be with you, then. If you need anything from me, please call. We're leaving next Friday for Jon's wedding, and I'll likely be out of contact for the week, but I'll try to be as available as I can."

Tyrion waved his hand. "Enjoy it! I feel so rude…I understand congratulations are due for not just one wedding, but two. Sandor Clegane is a good man. A rough man, but a good one. Now, we've taken up more than enough of your Friday night."

He turned to his wife. "Shall we, my love?"

They both rose and shook Ned and Robb's hands before taking their leave. Ned turned to look at Robb. He wondered if he looked as tired as his son did.

* * *

"Oh my God, look how pretty!" Sansa gushed, looking at all of the decorations. Sandor smiled at her enthusiasm and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Rickon rolled his eyes.

"It's just our gym, Sansa!" he grabbed Shireen's hand and pulled her toward his friends. Arya grinned as she looked around at all of the awkward adolescents. She looked suggestively at Gendry.

"God, doesn't this bring back memories? All of those confusing feelings, all of the sexual tension…" She pulled him into a hug, letting her hands slide down to grab his butt.

"Behave," he whispered in her ear, his voice deep as he grabbed her hands and pulled her away slightly.

"Arya!" Sansa looked indignant.

"Oh don't get all proper on me! You didn't seem the least bit fazed when this one came waltzing out of the shower naked!" She jerked her thumb at a suddenly infuriated Sandor.

"I was not _waltzing_ I was walking into my room, which I thought was a safe space!"

"Oh calm down! It's not as though there was a lot to see, anyway. I hope for your sake that it was cold!" Sandor looked ready to kill her. Sansa turned pink again.

"Sandor darling, you know she's just joking. It's not true! We've both seen the proof…" she was overcome by giggles again, but she turned to look earnestly at her fiancé.

"Let's stop talking about this," he growled.

Arya looked ready to keep at him, so Gendry dragged her towards the refreshment table. She scooped some punch for them and he tried a brownie. "Oh my God, this is amazing," he said thickly, the brownie half eaten in his mouth.

"Let me see!" She grabbed the rest of it and shoved it into her mouth. Crumbs fell out her mouth, and Gendry laughed, jabbing her in the side. "You eat like a savage. Get your shit together, Nasty!" She threw a cookie at him, and he grabbed a cup of punch, holding it threateningly over her.

"Don't you dare! This is Sansa's shirt, and she will murder us!" They continued laughing and eating until another parent chaperone moved over to them.

"Those are for the kids," she hissed. Arya sputtered into a laugh, crumbs spraying everywhere. Gendry, who had been drinking punch, choked on his drink and started laughing. He had to spit some of it back into his cup, and the mother looked disgusted.

"Just get away from the table!" She said, a little bit shrilly.

Gendry and Arya moved away, laughing uncontrollably. She looked over and saw Rickon looking irritated. Sansa looked mortified, and Sandor was still looking at her darkly for her comments earlier.

"Everyone's mad at us," she snickered.

"Do you care?"

She shrugged. "Not particularly."

Suddenly a popular song started blasting. Arya's eyes lit up.

"Ugh I _hate _this song. Dance with me?" Gendry laughed and grabbed her hand. The two were the only ones on the dance floor. The rest of the kids were grouped together chatting and trying to pretend like they were cooler than they were. The two of them danced easily, not caring that most kids had turned to stare at them.

Rickon looked like he wanted to die of embarrassment, but Shireen was watching them with shining eyes, leaning forward like she wanted to join them. Arya nudged Gendry and nodded over to them. Thinking the same thing at the same time, they moved over with Arya grabbing her brother and Gendry grabbing Shireen. They danced with them for a few minutes before forcing them together. Though both of them looked unsure of themselves, they looked at each other and grinned.

Soon, other couples made it onto the floor, and before long, the kids were all dancing. Arya and Gendry moved over to where Sandor and Sansa stood. Sansa was bouncing up and down, looking overjoyed as she watched Rickon and Shireen.

"Sansa, stop creeping!"

"I can't help it! They are just so precious!"

Arya laughed. "You are such a mom."

Sansa slipped her arm around Sandor's waist and leaned up against him, swaying them both slightly.

* * *

Bran and Meera had long since finished homework, but they stayed sitting at the table just the same. They had watched Tyrion leaving, looking out the window as he and his wife got in the car and drove away.

"I think she really loves him," Bran had said, surprising himself.

"How can you tell?"

"It's something in the energy around the two of them. The way she moves around him." It was the same way he moved around Meera.

He had looked at her intensely, wanting her to understand, but she only nodded and moved back to the table. He had only known Meera for about six months, but he had loved her for almost as long. After his accident, his parents pulled him out of school so he could recover.

He was already a terribly lonely kid, more inclined toward academic pursuits than social ones, and when he was confined to the house, his loneliness was worse than ever. He had been on an accelerated course when he was in school, and he'd completed his GED pretty quickly after the accident. His parents had finally let him enroll in classes at Winterfell University in the fall.

He had met Meera there and become instantly smitten. She was honest, and she didn't treat him carefully the way most people did. When he was with her, he forgot he was in a wheelchair. He just felt like a normal kid with a crush on his oblivious best friend.

"What?" she asked. He was staring again. He shook his head and looked away.

"Nothing. Just thinking. Things are finally starting to get better for my family. Even Arya's happy now."

"Are you happy?"

Bran shrugged. Being in a large family made it easy to slip through the cracks sometimes, and because Bran was the quietest, it was easy for him to fade into the background. His mother worried about him, he knew, and he felt bad for heaping that burden onto her fast-growing pile. She hadn't been able to take him to his physical therapy sessions as often as she had once been able to, and Meera had picked up the slack. Bran didn't mind. He never doubted his happiness when Meera was around.

She had been there when he had taken his first steps on Wednesday. It had been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, but it had been amazing. He made her promise to keep it a secret though.

"Have you tried walking any more?" she asked, seeming to read his mind.

"A little. I want to be able to walk by Sansa's wedding."

Meera grinned. "You'll surprise them all."

Bran nodded. He loved that she understood.

"Have they set a date yet?"

"I don't think so. I think Sansa's just trying to get through Jon and Ygritte's wedding, first."

"You guys are leaving for that next week, right?"

"Yeah. I think Shireen is coming with us now."

"Oh, so her and Rickon are getting serious, then," she joked, laughing.

Bran laughed with her, but he was distracted. He wanted Meera to come too. She was looking at him with a hopeful smile, and he knew that she was reading his mind again. Just as he was beginning to form the words, Sandor, Sansa, and Rickon burst in. Rickon was blushing furiously, and Sansa looked over the moon about something. Sandor came over and greeted Bran.

Bran liked the big man. He always made a point to talk to him, and he made Sansa happy. Rickon plopped down next to his brother and grinned at him.

"Rickon kissed Shireen goodnight, and oh my god it was adorable!" Sansa crooned.

"It wasn't adorable! It was smooth," Sandor laughed, and Bran got the feeling that he was using a direct quote from Rickon.

Rickon looked unabashed. "It _was _smooth." He looked over at Bran. "I got game." They all laughed helplessly.

Bran looked around. "Where are Gendry and Arya?"

"Saying goodnight," Rickon said suggestively. "I think all those hormones at the dance got to them."

"Shut up, Rickon! You're just jealous that some of us have more game than you!" Arya walked in and smacked him on the head.

"Well, I had fun. I'm going to bed." She patted Bran and Rickon on the head before hugging Sansa and Sandor goodbye.

"We're going too," Sansa said. She kissed each of her siblings goodbye and waved sweetly at Meera. Sandor placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her out and carrying her shoes in the other hand.

Rickon followed them out, leaving Bran and Meera alone again.

She stood uncertainly. "I think I should leave, too." Bran rolled beside her as she walked to the door. She was halfway down the steps when he called out for her to stop.

She looked up at him expectantly. "I don't know if you like weddings, but we have an extra room in the house, if you want to come…"

She grinned. "I would love too."

* * *

**I just realized that Jon and Ygritte haven't gotten a lot of screen time, so to speak. Seeing how next chapter is the kickoff to their wedding week, it's safe to say that they're about to be the focal point of several chapters.**

**Juggling all of these characters is a struggle, and I have endless respect for GRRM being able to craft his novels and still keep up with them all!**

**You guys are lovely, and I probably would have abandoned this long ago without your enthusiasm. xxx**

**PS when I post these, I try to read through them, but sometimes, when it takes me a long time to write them, I just post them and move on. Either way, I usually end up with more typos than I'd like, and they drive me crazy! I hope you can look past them and forgive me for them!**


	11. Chapter 11

**In the words of Agnes from Despicable Me: "So FLUFFY!" Seriously, guys, this chapter is allllll fluff. Like the fanfic equivalent of cotton candy.**

**GRRM owns the characters and the original story. I get nothing for this.**

* * *

Sansa burst through the door looking slightly panicked. The Stark household was overflowing with people, and none of them were entirely ready to leave. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Rickon walk by looking like he'd just woken up.

"Rickon! We're supposed to leave for the airport in ten minutes!" Sandor came in behind her and placed an arm around his waist, trying to keep her calm. She had been extremely stressed this whole week trying to pull the wedding together and plan the trip. Sandor had tried to help her as much as he could, but she didn't like to burden him and had internalized most of it.

He pulled her in and gave her a kiss on the side of the head. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Ned came down the stairs carrying two massive suitcases that were obviously Catelyn's. He hefted them down by the front door and pulled Sansa into a hug. Catelyn followed minutes later, struggling with two giant bags. One of the toppled out of her hands and bounced down the stairs.

"Shit!"

Sansa gasped. Her mother _never_ cursed.

"I'm sorry. It's been a stressful morning. Arya won't get up, and I don't think she's even packed yet!" Sansa went pale at that.

"Darling, give that to me," Ned reached out and took both bags and placed them with the suitcases. Catelyn rushed away to hurry Rickon along.

Jon and Ygritte pulled up out front and honked the horn several times. Theon ran outside and loaded his stuff in their car and hopped in the backseat. Gendry pulled up behind them. They stayed in the car, but Gendry got out of his and came inside. He gave Sansa a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Gendry. Please go get Arya up! Ned, honey, can you load up the bags? Rickon, go out at get in the car. Bran, you too. Where are Robb and Jeyne?" Catelyn shouted it all in one breath, her eyes bulging slightly.

Everyone jumped to do as she said, and Sandor grabbed suitcases to help Ned load up the car. Sansa watched as Gendry disappeared up the stairs. She sighed and massaged her temples, leaning up against the staircase. Gendry came back downstairs a few minutes later.

"She's being her stubborn self. I'll get her packed and drive her up. We shouldn't be more than thirty minutes behind you."

"Fine. Thanks, Gendry. She can be infuriating sometimes."

Gendry laughed and waved her out the door.

Sansa ran out the front door. Sandor has just put the last of the bags in her family's car, and Ned was lifting Bran into the backseat. Robb and Jeyne pulled up just then, and Sansa breathed a sigh of relief. Her parents came over to her, her mom looking as frazzled as she felt.

"Okay. Robb and Jeyne are here. They're driving up separately. Jon and Ygritte have Theon, and Sandor's taking me. You have Rickon and Bran, and all of the wedding stuff is in my suitcase."

"What about Arya?" Her mother's nostrils flared dangerously.

"Gendry said he'd get her up and take her."

"She better not be late! I swear to God, if Arya misses this flight, I'm not paying for another ticket!" Ned rubbed his wife on the back, trying to soothe her, and he gently guided her into the car.

Sansa could her mother shrilly asking everyone if they had everything as she and Sandor walked to his car. Once inside, Sandor grinned at her.

"Ready to go on vacation?" Sansa groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"They're all nuts!" Sandor roared with laughter at that, and Sansa joined in helplessly a few minutes later. Her tiredness and stress made her a little punch-drunk, and she couldn't stop laughing, even when her sides began to hurt her so badly that she thought they would split.

* * *

Arya Stark was in hell. She and Gendry had gone out with Theon and Ros the night before, and she hadn't survived the night as well as the other three had. Though Arya hadn't liked the sound of Teon's latest hookup, (she had a reputation of sleeping around) the girl had been fun to party with.

She had gotten them into some new club called The Brothel, and she had eagerly helped sneak Arya in. She had even been able to get them free drinks. The night had been a lot of fun until Theon had gotten wasted and started referring to Ros as "His Slampiece." After that, things had gotten a little tense, and they might have gotten thrown out after the ensuing fight.

Now, Arya buried deeper into the covers, alternating between focusing on not throwing up and trying to ignore her blistering headache. Gendry had come in moments before to pester her, and she had told him to fuck off.

He was back now, and she knew he wasn't going to leave her alone. She felt the mattress thud as he launched himself onto the bed next to her, and she winced as the bouncing made her head pound. He ripped the covers off of her and started jabbing and poking her. She aimed blind punches at him, wrenching her pillow over her face.

"You know, you pick the worst days to be hung over," he said thoughtfully. He pulled the pillow off of her face and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips. He straightened back up and dropped the pillow without warning. Arya grunted as it smacked her in the face.

She heard him moving around her room, and she shifted so she could peek at what he was doing. She watched as he started throwing clothes into her empty suitcase that was resting open on the floor.

"Don't forget underwear."

He sighed but looked at her with a smile on his face. "What _else_?"

She directed him around her room for a few minutes, and once her suitcase had been packed, she had him throw together a carryon bag for her. He left the room with the bags so he could go load them in his car, and Arya stretched, luxuriating in the comfort of her bed.

When he came back into the room and told her to get up, she gave him a sarcastic look before turning away from him.

She suddenly shrieked when he came up without warning and scooped her, sheets and all, into his arms. He carried her down the stairs and out to the car. He dug her house keys out of her purse and left her sitting there, looking disgruntled, as he locked up the house.

Gendry got into the driver's seat and started the car. She bunched up and pulled the covers around her and turned to look at the window.

* * *

When they finally pulled up to the airport, Gendry gave Arya a minute to dig a pair of shoes out of her suitcase before giving it to the baggage checker. She walked blearily through security with Gendry behind her.

By the time she had reached her family, her bad mood had mostly abated, and she just felt tired. Gendry kissed her on the head and left to go get her some coffee. Her mom looked disapprovingly at her pajamas, but she thankfully said nothing. Arya settled in one of the chairs by the gate and dozed lightly.

She awoke a few minutes later to find Gendry sitting next to her, flipping through a magazine. She grabbed the coffee he'd gotten her and gratefully sucked it down. She looked around at her family. Her dad had an arm draped around her mom, and she was leaning into him with her eyes closed. Bran and Rickon were playing on their phones, and Robb and Jeyne were talking quietly to each other as baby Ned slept on Jeyne's lap. They were laughing at something, and the sight warmed Arya's heart. Jon and Ygritte were making out a lot, and Theon was next to them, looking uncomfortable. Sandor was studying his computer screen with a furrowed brow.

"Where are Shireen and Meera?" Arya wondered aloud.

"They're flying up separately because our flight was booked." It was Sansa who answered, and Arya's eyes widened as her sister approached clutching numerous shopping bags.

"Jesus, Sansa! What the hell did you need to buy at the airport?!"

"You know I shop when I'm stressed! And besides, they have a ton of cute stores for when people have layovers."

"Or when their fiancés let them run amok with their credit cards!" Arya looked over at Sandor, waiting for him to be outraged at the amount her sister had spent on his dime, but he merely shrugged.

"Whatever makes her happy."

Ned nodded approvingly at that, and Sansa beamed.

"Okay, but how do you think we're going to get all that shit on the plane?"

Sansa looked perturbed for a minute before brightening up. "Can't you each just fit a little into your carry-ons?"

None of them responded, but they all stuffed the things Sansa handed them into their bags without comment or complaint.

* * *

When it was finally time to board, the Stark family began to gather their things. They got to board first because they were first class and because Bran was in a wheelchair. Gendry rose and offered to take Arya's bag for her, but she refused, stubbornly struggling with its bulk as they filed onto the plane. He laughed but didn't offer to help when she discovered she was too short to reach the overhead bin. She settled on cramming it under the seat in front of her and then plopped herself in the middle seat between Rickon and Gendry.

Her mother and father sat behind her, and they were joined by Bran, who was carried to his seat by airport workers. Jon, Ygritte, and Theon sat in from of them.

Across the aisle, Robb and Jeyne settled into their seats; the baby was still thankfully asleep.

Sandor and Sansa were the last of the family to get on the plane. He carried both bags for them as she followed primly behind. He let her into the seat first and then sat beside her. She nestled into him, drawing her long legs up underneath her.

When the plane was finally in the air, Theon turned around in his seat, brandishing his cup of whiskey even though it was only eight in the morning.

"All right bitches!" he yelled, drawing admonishing stares from Catelyn, Sansa, and the flight attendant. "Raised your glasses!" He continued, unperturbed. They all raised their cups of various beverages, waiting for him to continue.

"Welcome to the wedding!" He grinned devilishly and downed the contents of the cup in one swallow.

* * *

**Told ya so! So light and fluffy and fun to write. I sort of love Sansa and super-relate to her high-maintenance, shopaholic ways, but I'm trying to rein her in so that she's not too annoying or overbearing!**

**Not going to lie, fanfiction is becoming my life right now, and there will more than likely be another chapter up tonight.**

**You guys are awesome! xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

**So, this took a completely different direction than I thought it would when I started writing it. This one's a bit sad. Slight warning: there are mentions of past abuse, but it's nothing graphic. **

**By now you know the refrain: GRRM owns all the characters and the original work. I am not him, and I take no credit. I also make no profit from this.**

* * *

"Arya! Are my feet on the ground?"

Arya raised her eyebrows. "What are you talking about, Sansa?"

"Are my feet on the ground!"

"Yes, why?"

"Because I feel like I'm floating!" Sansa giggled and twirled around. Gendry, Theon, and Arya looked at her incredulously for a moment before simultaneously bursting into laughter.

"Sansa Stark, you are drunk!" Arya roared.

Sansa grinned sheepishly at them. She _was _drunk. She was more drunk than she had ever been in her life.

After the family had landed, they had gone to pick up the several rental cars they'd gotten for the week and had and driven over to their three-story rental house. They had all been exhausted. They napped and settled in for a few hours and then had dinner. Later that night, Jon and Ygritte had wanted to go out to the nearby club, and after Bran and Rickon had told them they would be fine at home alone, Ned and Cat had decided to come along. They had pointedly looked away when Arya flashed her fake ID at the bouncer, but they expressly forbade her to drink.

Where Arya abstained, Sansa gorged. She had been so stressed with the wedding planning and so strained with the trip that she had been a bit too indulgent with the alcohol. Now, she, Arya, and Gendry were on the side of the dance floor, and she was trying very hard to stay upright. This would have been a whole lot easier if the room wasn't spinning.

"I want to dance!" Sansa shouted suddenly.

Theon stepped forward. "Come on, sweetheart, I'll take you."

She eagerly grabbed his hand and dragged him out onto the floor. Arya and Gendry laughed and followed them. Sansa laughed and danced and sang along with the thumping music, completely letting go of all of her inhibitions.

She looked over at Arya through the flashing lights. Her little sister grinned at her, and Sansa beamed back. Arya moved closer to her.

"Arya! You look so pretty!" Arya laughed and shook her head, but this seemed to upset Sansa.

"No. Seriously. You are _beautiful_." Sansa seemed frantic that Arya understand this, so Arya thanked her. Suddenly, Sansa's face crumpled.

"I'm hideous!" She wailed. Abruptly, she was crying. Theon looked panicked. Arya was caught off guard by her sister's sudden mood swing, and she rushed forward to wipe the cheeks from her face.

"Sansa, what are you talking about? You're gorgeous!"

Sansa shook her head adamantly. "No. I'm. Not." She sobbed between each word. "I try so hard to be perfect, but I'm _not_! I'm not perfect."

"No one wants you to be perfect!"

"Yeah," Theon chimed in, "perfect is boring. And you're not boring. You're amazing!"

Sansa shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

"No. I'm useless and worthless."

"Sansa. No one thinks that!" Gendry looked shocked.

"Joffrey did," she whispered.

Arya was truly alarmed now. This was more than just drunken crying. Her sister was clearly still damaged from her previous relationship. She internalized a lot of her pain, worrying about being a burden on other people, but now, it was all pouring out of her, and Arya wasn't sure what to do.

"I want Sandor!"

Arya felt a wave of relief. Sandor would know what Sansa needed.

They walked her over to the table where her parents and Sandor were sitting. Both Cat and Ned looked worried at their crying daughter, but it was Sandor's arms into which she threw herself. He held her tightly, his body solid and comforting against her wracking sobs.

"Who did this to her?" He growled.

"No one! We were dancing, and everything was fine, but then, she started crying and saying that she was worthless and ugly!"

Sandor froze at Arya's words, his eyes suddenly blazing.

"What the hell is going on?" Ned bellowed.

Just then, Sansa looked up Sandor with plaintive eyes brimming in tears.

"Why is everyone yelling? Are they mad at me?"

"No one is mad at you, love," he said softly. He smoothed her hair and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Do you still love me?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?!"

"Because I'm not perfect. I'm ugly and flawed and unnecessary—"

"—Sansa, stop—"

"—I am, and that's why Joffrey hated me. That's why he beat me."

Catelyn looked appalled. She had known Joffrey was abusive, but she thought it had only been verbal. She felt physically ill to think that Joffrey had beaten her little girl.

"He hit her?" she moaned faintly.

Sandor nodded. "I didn't know, at first. She was good at hiding the bruises. But the first time he hit her in front of me was my last day at the company. I laid him out and got her the hell out of there."

Sansa had resumed crying into his chest. He tried to soothe her. His face was taut with concern.

"Sansa, sweetheart, I'm going to get you out of her, okay?"

She nodded pitifully. He picked her up with one arm and started carrying her out of the club. Catelyn and Ned hurried behind them.

* * *

Arya stood there, feeling numb. Gendry pulled her into a hug. Tears stung her eyes, and she realized she was shaking. Jon and Ygritte were still on the floor, dancing happily. Grabbing Gendry's hand, she pulled him over to the happy pair.

She told them briefly that they were headed out, not telling them about Sansa. She didn't want to ruin their night. They looked disappointed to see them leave, but waved them off, insisting they were fine on their own.

Arya held Gendry's hand in an iron vice all the way out to the car. She was so angry at Joffrey, and so, so sad for Sansa. She hated how powerless she was. She hated that she couldn't take away what he'd done and that she couldn't take away her sister's pain.

Gendry opened the door for her, and she sat down, her body angled so that her feet were still out of the car. Gendry knelt so that he was at eye level with her. Without warning, she erupted into sobs. She hadn't cried this hard since she was little.

Gendry hugged her fiercely, still kneeling before her. She clutched him and cried so hard, she felt her stomach heave. She was so grateful to have him. She was ornery and prickly and mean to him sometimes, but he was good to her anyway. He was always patient and never cruel.

She cried for Sansa, and she cried for herself, and the tears felt endless. Gendry sat on the ground and pulled her into him, rocking her gently back and forth. Finally, the tears quieted, and her lips found his. It was a soft, sweet kiss that lingered. It didn't ask for anything, and it didn't insist on more. When they pulled apart, she took a final, shuddering breath, and pressed her forehead so that it was leaning up against his. Their noses were tip to tip, and he could see his own worried eyes reflected in her earnest grey ones.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips, her voice soft as a sigh. It was the first time she'd said it, and her heart clenched painfully with the honesty and fear of the statement.

Gendry's own heart soared, and he felt tears of his own building at the shock of hearing her say it. He swallowed them down and answered her in a tight voice.

"And I love you."

* * *

Sandor clomped noisily down the stairs. Ned and Catelyn were sitting on the couch in the living room, holding each other. They rose nervously when Sandor came into the room.

"How is she?" Catelyn looked afraid of the answer.

"She's sleeping. I gave her a lot of water. She was starting to sober up. I talked to her. She's more embarrassed than anything else. We're calling a therapist tomorrow. I've been trying to get her to talk to someone for a while now, and I think tonight was the push she needed."

"Thank you, Sandor." He nodded at the haggard-looking woman and moved over to the kitchen. He settled himself on a bar stool and poured himself a drink. He sat there, a black scowl across his face. He downed his drink and glared down at the empty glass bottom. Ned come over and sat beside him. He poured his own drink and refilled Sandor's.

Sandor spoke first.

"I hate that little shit for what he did to her."

"So do I."

He ran a hand over his face, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with anger.

"I wanted to kill him. I came close a few times."

Sandor hadn't meant to say it, and his eyes slid over to Ned to gauge his reaction. Sansa's father didn't look alarmed or upset. He merely blinked benignly back at the big man, waiting for him to continue.

"I will never hurt your daughter. I will never let anyone hurt her ever again. I would do anything for her. I would kill for her."

"You know, when I first found out you were dating Sansa, I was unsure of you. In fact, I kind of hated you. You were so much older, and so much bigger than she was. I didn't know if you had taken advantage of her. You had been working for the Lannisters when you met her, after all.

"But I watched you with her. You are a fearsome man, but you are gentle with her. I've never seen her so happy as when she is with you. And it's obvious that you love her, and she adores you.

"I worry about my family—especially after everything that's happened—but I don't worry about her when I see her with you."

Ned rose to leave. He hesitated and then turned back.

"Thank you."

Sandor grunted as Ned walked away.

He pushed himself up front the stool and headed upstairs. Once he was inside their room, he saw Sansa sleeping lightly, her breathing shallow. He slid in next to her, and she instinctively rolled over to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

Then, he whispered the same words that he told her whenever she was upset. It was the same thing he'd promised her father earlier.

"I love you, Sansa. I will never let anything hurt you again."

* * *

**I know, I know. It was a bit of a downer. It had tinges of the serious and the sweet. Next chapter is going to (finally!) feature mostly Jon and Ygritte, and all will be fluffy and happy again!**

**I'm still figuring out how I want to write this wedding. It's either going to be a super long chapter that features a POV from everyone, or each couple/pairing is going to get its own individual chapter. I'll probably end up with the former because the latter requires a balls load of chapters and ain't nobody got time for (reading/writing) that!**

**Y'all are beautiful, wonderful people for being so supportive and enthusiastic. You are more beautiful than Cinderella! You smell like pine needles, and have a face like sunshine! xxx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Just a short little filler chapter. I couldn't have the wedding on unlucky chapter 13!**

**You know this already, but I'm going to say it anyway. GRRM owns the characters and ASOIAF. I do not. And I also do not gain anything for writing this.**

* * *

Later that night, Arya and Gendry came back into the house, still a little giddy and breathless from their declarations. Jon and Ygritte were still out, but the rest of Arya's siblings had gone to bed. Cat and Ned had waited up for the two of them. They exchanged a quick kiss goodnight before going to their separate rooms under Ned's watchful eyes.

Though Catelyn and Ned were a bit more permissive with their youngest daughter than with their other children, they still drew the line at letting Arya and Gendry sleep together. In fact, Ned was so adamantly against this that he had put Arya in a bedroom on the first floor and Gendry on the third. His and Cat's room was on the second floor, squarely in between them.

The house was massive; it had three stories and ten bedrooms. Each floor of the house had a balcony that wrapped the entire outside of the house, and most of the rooms had sliding doors that led to the balcony. Each balcony had a staircase that led to the other balconies.

Arya brushed her teeth and changed into one of Gendry's shirts. She had taken to sleeping in just his shirts, liking to fall asleep with his scent. Just as Arya was settling into bed, she heard a tapping on her outside door. She bit her lip and grinned, guessing who it was. She leapt from the bed and slid open the door. Before she could say anything, Gendry's lips were upon hers, and he was lifting her up. Her legs came around his waist as he moved them over to the bed. She lifted her shirt over her head eagerly, and he broke the kiss to help her.

He brought her crashing onto the bed and lifted himself over her so that he was on all fours, his knees on either side of thighs and his hands above her shoulders. He began tracing kisses from the tip of her nose down to her stomach. She gasped when his tongue brushed the line of skin just above the waistband of her underwear.

She gave a throaty laugh.

"My dad will kill you if he catches us."

"Do you want me to stop?" His voice was teasing and his hands were maddening as he slid off the remainder of her clothes.

"No." Arya closed her eyes and lost herself in the pleasure of his kisses and caresses.

* * *

Jon stood on the third floor balcony, drinking a cup of coffee and blinking tiredly in the sunlight. Theon joined him, slapping him on the back.

"It's two o'clock! Did you just get up?"

Jon nodded. He and Ygritte hadn't come home until four, and they hadn't gone to sleep until five. He smiled at the memory of what they'd done to fill that hour.

The side of the balcony he was on had a view of the pool, and he leaned over the railing to watch Arya and Gendry swimming beneath. They were being awfully touchy-feely, and it was upsetting Jon—a lot.

"Hey you two! Let's keep this pool family-friendly!"

"Yeah! That and the hot-tub are No Fondling zones!" Theon chimed in.

Bran and Rickon started laughing, and even Gendry chuckled a bit. Arya, however, glared up at them and seized a nearby ball. She soaked it full of water and lobbed it up at the two of them. Both boys dodged it easily, laughing as they did.

Just then, Ygritte walked out, her red hair glinting in the sun. She started talking cheerfully to Arya and Gendry, and an idea occurred to Jon. He picked up the ball and took aim, grinning devilishly. Ygritte was laughing at something Arya had said when it collided with the back of her head. She whipped around, and saw Jon laughing gleefully.

"Jon Snow!" She tried to look angry but only succeeded in a pale imitation of a glower, broken up with laughter.

Theon vaulted himself over the railing, and Arya started shouting at him.

"Theon Greyjoy, don't you DARE jump!"

Theon only grinned suggestively before taking a great flying leap into the pool three stories below. Arya yelped as Gendry grabbed her and pulled her away, shielding his body over her own. Theon hit the water with a loud and satisfying splat, sending water flying everywhere.

Gendry grunted angrily when Arya suddenly punched him in the stomach.

"What was that for?!"

"I don't need you defending me! I can take care of myself!" She wasn't really angry. She was just being her cantankerous and stubborn self.

"Fine." Gendry said simply. "Take care of yourself now!" He hoisted her above his head, and she fought him fruitlessly. She was laughing despite her irritation, and Gendry dropped her into the water. She came up a few minutes later and started splashing and wrestling him.

In the meantime, Jon had come down the stairs to join Ygritte. She was watching Gendry and Arya with laughter in her eyes. He came up behind her and kissed her on the back of the neck.

"Want to get out of here?" he whispered in her ear. She turned and nodded, a mischievous smile playing across her lips.

* * *

They walked down the beach, holding hands. Jon looked over at the woman who would soon be his wife. His heart swelled with happiness. Sometimes, he still couldn't believe they had gotten to this point. Ygritte was fiery and frustrating at times, and they had had their fair share of fights. There were some moments after arguments that looked like it was the end of them, but they had always found their way back.

She seemed to be thinking along the same lines at he was, grinning as she asked, "Are you ready to do this thing tomorrow?"

"Absolutely." He leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started dragging him towards the water.

He broke the kiss. "Ygritte, no!" But it was too late. She dragged him laughingly into the surf, soaking them both in minutes. He was slightly annoyed at her as she splashed him playfully, but he couldn't stay too mad at her for long.

They walked back up the beach, their wet clothes sticking to them and attracting sand. It was strangely empty, and they were alone. Ygritte grinned up at him, and he looked down at her, shaking his head.

"You know, my clothes are drenched, and it's your fault." He was only teasing, and she laughed.

"Well, let's get you out of those!" She pushed him back into the sand, and he tried to protest.

"Someone could see!"

"But that's what makes it exciting!"

She started peeling off her own clothes, and Jon found himself running out of things to argue about. She kissed him eagerly, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. He shifted uncomfortably in the sand, a discontented look crossing her face. She saw it and pulled away.

"What's wrong?"

"Sex on the beach isn't nearly as fun as they say. I mean, sand is everywhere!"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a baby!"

Before he could form a response, her demanding lips were on his again, and he just gave in and gave up.

* * *

**Everyone's getting some today! Next chapter is the wedding, and it's going to be looooooooong.**

**Thanks for everything, y'all! xxx**


	14. Chapter 14

**The beginning of this takes place during the same day as the previous chapter. It's the rehearsal dinner, and after that is the wedding the next day. I had such a good time writing this. Just so you know, it's mushy** **stuff!**

**GRRM owns the characters and ASOIAF. I write this purely for fun and not for profit!**

* * *

Sansa was pacing nervously around her room, glancing out the window every few minutes. Sandor was sitting on the bed watching her, having long ago given up on trying to calm her.

"I just don't know how they could be running late for their own rehearsal dinner!" Sansa exclaimed, exasperated. Sandor stood heavily and came over to Sansa, wrapping his big arms around her lithe body. She hugged him back, knowing that he was still worried about her after the night before.

Sandor knew more about what happened with Joffrey than anyone. When they had first started dating, he had been slow and gentle with her, not pressuring her into anything. She trusted him implicitly, and whenever she had a problem or was upset, it was always Sandor she wanted. He protected her from Joffrey, and he would always protect her from anything. She knew that when they had children, it would be the same way. She smiled into his chest, the thought warming her.

Abruptly, they were startled apart when Arya burst through their door without knocking. She was wearing the dress that Sansa had forced upon her, and she looked none too pleased about it. She flopped herself onto their bed, folding her hands across her stomach and staring up at the ceiling.

"Mom's driving me crazy," she said without preamble. "She keeps making me do stuff for the wedding. And she keeps trying to do my hair and make-up. I swear, sometimes she's a bigger control freak than even you!"

Sansa laughed and motioned for her sister to come over to her. Arya did so unwillingly.

"Your hair looks lovely down. You have the same natural curls I do. Let me just pin a few back, and it should be fine."

After Sansa had finished, Arya rolled her eyes. "I guess you can do my make-up, too," she said begrudgingly. Sansa's eyes lit up and she quickly went to work.

She stepped back a moment later, letting Arya go over to look at her reflection.

"It looks nice. Thanks."

"Oh, Arya! You're so pretty. You look just like Aunt Lyanna did!"

Arya had never thought of herself as beautiful, but she had always thought their father's sister was stunning. Now, as she studied herself in the mirror, she had to admit that there were certain similarities in appearance between herself and her deceased aunt. She grinned at Sansa, and Sansa beamed back.

This time, they were interrupted when Ygritte burst through the door, looking sandy and sunburned and wet.

"Your mom looked like she was going to pass out when she saw me and Jon! She sent me up to you so you could make me presentable." Ygritte laughed easily, unconcerned that her rehearsal dinner was in thirty minutes and she was nowhere near ready.

Sansa groaned and shoved Ygritte into her bathroom.

"Shower quickly and let's see if I can't pull off a miracle!"

* * *

"Oh my God I ate too much!" Arya groaned, lying on the floor. Ygritte laughed, but made a face as she grabbed her stomach.

"So did I! I'm going to be so bloated for my wedding tomorrow!" All three girls laughed. They had just returned from the rehearsal dinner, and they were gathered on Arya's floor. Ygritte had decided to spend her last night as a single woman away from Jon, so they had decided to have a sleepover.

Ygritte winced in pain as she brought herself up to a sitting position. Sansa shot her a sympathetic look. Ygritte's entire body was covered in oddly shaped patches of red.

"I just don't know how you got such weirdly patterned sunburn. Did you just apply sunscreen unevenly?"

"I didn't wear sunscreen. You should see Jon. His burns look similar to mine—they're all over our bodies." She grinned wickedly and Sansa blushed.

"Oh gross! Don't tell me that about Jon!"

"Arya Stark, like you're so innocent! Don't tell me that wasn't Gendry I saw sneaking out of your window last night when Jon and I were coming home from the club."

Arya looked worried for the first time.

"Did Jon see?"

"Of course not! Gendry's still alive, isn't he? I distracted him for you."

"Thank God."

Ygritte smiled smugly. "You're welcome."

Sansa looked worried. "Arya, you really shouldn't do that on a _family_ vacation."

"Stop being so judgey! I know for a fact you're not so virginal as you pretend to be!"

Ygritte cracked up, and Sansa looked annoyed.

"Sansa were you a virgin when you met Sandor?"

"Yes!" Arya crooned. "I lost mine before she lost hers!"

"How old were you?"

"Sixteen. It was the first time Gendry and I dated. We were each other's firsts. Sansa was _twenty-one_," Arya said it as though she couldn't' believe how old that was.

"Well, at least I didn't lose it to Joffrey. Even though I was scared of him, I never did it. I somehow knew he wasn't the one. He was the one you date _before_you find the one."

Arya had a strange look on her face. Sansa was going to ask her about it when Ygritte spoke up.

"So Sandor was your first?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't his…"

"Jon Snow wasn't mine! I was fifteen. He was some guy passing through. He didn't treat me very well. Not like Jon does…I know I always say he knows nothing, but he does know how to treat me right."

Ygritte smiled up at them, and Sansa and Arya smiled sadly back, surprised. They knew Ygritte had had a rough life. Both of her parents were dead, and she had grown up in foster homes. When she was eighteen, she had moved out on her own and had put herself through college. Never one to wallow in self-pity, she was fiercely independent and determined.

Sansa reached across and clasped Ygritte's hand. "I'm glad that Jon is good to you."

The older girl smiled jauntily. "Oh, Jon Snow is _very_ good to me! He's so…eager and passionate." She raised her eyebrows suggestively, and Arya cringed.

"Gross! Stop! You're going to give me bad mental images."

Ygritte laughed but let the subject drop. Sansa looked at the clock and started prompting the two other girls into the bed.

"We have an early morning tomorrow. One of us is getting married!"

As Ygritte pulled back the covers, she looked thoughtfully at the two sisters.

"You know, when I was little, I never really thought about my wedding. I didn't really even think I would get married. But then, when I met Jon, it was like I was meant to be with him all my life."

Sansa smiled.

"That's what happens when you find The One."

Arya had the same strange look on her face as she lay between the two girls. Sansa stared at her, the question in her eyes, but Arya only shook her head as Ygritte turned off the light.

As she listened to Ygritte's light snoring, Arya looked over at her older sister.

"Sansa?"

"Mmmmm?"

She was half-asleep, but she lazily opened one eye to see her sister's grey ones, wide and glinting in the dark.

Arya snuggled closer to her and bit her lip. Sansa had never known her sister to hesitate with anything in her life, so she was curious to see her looking so uncertain.

The minutes stretched between them before Arya finally spoke, her whisper barely carrying in the dark.

"I think Gendry is my One."

Sansa smiled and pulled Arya into a hug.

"I _know_ he is."

* * *

"Sansa, I'm sorry, and I love you, but you need to CALM THE FUCK DOWN and Stop. Touching. My. Hair."

"I'm sorry, Arya, but your hair's so wiry and stubborn that it won't stay pinned!"

"I thought my hair was _curly _and _lovely_ just like yours!"

"My hair is lovely! And if you'd notice, it's staying perfectly pinned the way it should!" Sansa hadn't meant to snap, but the morning had been hectic and Arya was being incorrigible. All morning, Sansa had been a hovering cloud of nervous energy, and it was starting to grate on her sister's nerves.

Sansa jabbed another hair pin into Arya's scalp, and she yelped.

"Dammit! I'm pretty sure that one drew blood!"

"Good. I meant for it to!"

"Would the both of you please shut up and help me?"

Ygritte had emerged from the shower, and her hair was an unruly mess. Sansa rushed forward and shepherded her to the bed. She moved away to dig through her bag and returned wielding a hairdryer and hairspray. She had a slightly crazed expression on her face, and Ygritte looked as though she regretted asking for her help.

* * *

Jon paced around the kitchen, his shirt slightly unbuttoned and his linen suit jacket draped over a nearby chair. He ran his hands through his hair, laughing at how nervous he felt.

Catelyn walked in just then, smiling softly. She was dressed in a pretty light blue dress, and she wore the same kind expression that he remembered from every day of his life.

"Jon? You almost ready to go?"

"Yeah. The guys are getting dressed, and then we're heading down to the beach."

He finished buttoning his shirt and tugged fretfully at his collar. He grabbed his tie and struggled with it before Catelyn moved over to him.

"Here. Let me."

Her sure hands moved quickly and knotted the tie in place. She smiled at him and brought her hand to his cheek. She had always been a bit stern with her children, but he had always known there was a softness underneath. There were tears brimming in her eyes as she left him to go over to the refrigerator to get his boutonniere.

He shrugged into his jacket and stilled as Cat returned and pinned the lily for him.

She laughed slightly, almost to herself.

"You know, you were always such a solemn kid. You took everything very seriously. You had such an old soul, and you would always get this intense look on your face before you made a big decision. You still make it now."

Jon smiled ruefully at that, and Catelyn laughed harder.

"I'm very proud of you."

Jon felt his throat tighten, and he couldn't form the words to answer her, so he pulled her in for a tight hug instead.

* * *

Ned draped his arm around his wife as they watched Jon and his groomsman walk down to the beach. They turned back and waved, and Ned and Cat waved back.

He smiled down at her, his heart feeling lighter than it had in months. She was just as beautiful as the day he'd met her. She sighed and leaned in closer to him.

"Where are the girls?"

Catelyn laughed.

"They're upstairs. I just checked on them. Sansa said that she had some finishing touches left, and Arya told me that Sansa would probably never let them out."

Ned chuckled fondly.

"They grew up well, didn't they, Cat?"

"They really did. I just can't believe how quickly it happened."

Ned sighed.

"Neither can I. I don't know if I'm going to be able to give Sansa away when the time comes."

Catelyn rested her hand on her husband's chest.

"But you will. You always do what you have to do for your family."

Ned's heart sunk. That hadn't always been the case, and he felt unspeakably guilty for abandoning his family all those months ago.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, Cat. I—"

"—Sh. It doesn't matter. You're here now. I always knew you'd come back to me, and you did."

She brought her hands to either side of his face and looked into his eyes lovingly. The blue mixed with the grey, and they breathed as one as he brought his lips down to meet hers.

* * *

Robb stood with his hands crossed in front of him. On one side, Gendry and Theon stood lined up next to him. On his other side, Jon stood talking to the officiant. Robb knew he was nervous, but he also knew that he had no reason to be. He and Ygritte were perfect for each other.

Jon finished his conversation and turned to look at his brother. Robb knocked him on the shoulder.

"You ready for this?"

Jon nodded seriously. "I think so."

"Hey. I know a little something about marital mistakes, and you're definitely not making one."

Jon laughed, his grey eyes lightening a bit.

"She's going to be mine for the rest of my life." Jon's voice sounded strange when he said it, and Robb wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. Before he could get too worried, Jon looked up at him and grinned brightly.

"I can't wait."

* * *

For the first time in her life, Ygritte felt butterflies in her stomach. She had no doubt that Jon was the one for her, and yet, she couldn't stop herself from shaking with nerves and excitement. She looked over at Arya, and the two of them smiled eagerly at each other.

Sansa stood over next to her parents and Sandor, and they were all talking merrily. Sansa looked over her shoulder and saw Ygritte staring at her. She moved over to the girl and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you for everything, Sansa. It's all beautiful."

Sansa's face shone with happiness, and she was already crying.

"Of course. You're so worth it."

_Sansa __**had**__ done a great job_, Ygritte thought as she looked down the beach to where Jon and the boys were standing. She hadn't overdone anything, and it was all understated and lovely. Simple white chairs were lined up in rows where there guests were sitting.

Ygritte's dress fit her perfectly and was even more beautiful than she'd remembered. Sansa had pulled her hair up into a complicated array of braids and curls, and instead of a veil, she had woven tulle and flowers through it. Her heart picked up when she imagined Jon's reaction to seeing her.

They hadn't invited many people, wanting to keep it small. She did spot Sam and some of Jon's other brothers from his fraternity. Hot Pie, Gendry and Arya's friend from King's Landing, was there too. Meera and Shireen were sitting together and talking to each other. Bran and Rickon were at the end of the aisle, handing out programs and fans.

Ygritte quivered with excitement, and she moved away from the beach entrance to line up behind Arya, Sansa, and Jeyne. They were wearing short, emerald green dresses with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves just like on Ygritte's dress. Sansa had done all of their hair in soft, curling buns, and they were all holding bouquets of lilies. Ygritte hadn't named a maid of honor, choosing instead to have her three sisters as her bridesmaids.

Sansa had hired a violin quartet, and when they started playing, Ygritte's heart was suddenly racing. Catelyn was the first one down the aisle, escorted by Sandor. Arya, Jeyne, and Sansa were next. Ygritte saw Gendry grin at his girlfriend, and she knew that Arya was returning the look.

Finally, it was Ygritte's turn. Ned held his arm out to her, and she took it, grasping his arm more tightly than she meant to. He had become dear to her in the years since she had met and started dating Jon, and she was almost moved to tears as he escorted her down the aisle.

Ygritte cried in earnest when she caught sight of Jon's face. He was staring at her with a dumbfounded look on his face that slackened into an awed grinned. Ned kissed her on the cheek and hugged Jon before placing her hand in his.

As Jon pulled her closer, he shook his head incredulously.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you."

Ygritte laughed through her tears.

"You know nothing, Jon Snow."

She was so lost in his stare that she barely heard the words of the ceremony, and she was startled when it was time for her to saw her vows. They had decided to prepare their own, but she knew that both of them had put off writing them. As she looked in his eyes, she decided to speak from the heart.

"I am your woman," she said simply. She slid the ring onto his finger. She heard faint laughter from their guests, and Jon's own eyes crinkled as he looked at her.

"You are my woman," he echoed, and he slid the ring onto her finger.

They beamed at each other, neither one quite believing that they had done it. Then they kissed, and there was nothing but bliss.

* * *

At their table, Bran sat nervously beside Meera. He felt like he'd been doing that all day. He had sat nervously beside her in the car when Ned had picked her and Shireen up from the airport that morning, and he had sat nervously beside her during the ceremony.

She had been oblivious to his struggle the whole time, enjoying the wedding more than she was enjoying his company, he was sure. Now, as they watched Jon and Ygritte share their first dance, he felt a tugging at his heart when he realized how miserable he felt.

Jon was looking at Ygritte with the same adoration with which Bran stared at Meera every day. But he was too shy to do anything about it, and Meera had no clue. She looked over at Bran smiled.

"They look so happy!"

Bran nodded, his eyes sad.

"So why aren't you?" She knew him too well.

He shrugged, feeling foolish for the disappointment he inexplicably felt.

"I thought something special was going to happen tonight, but I let myself down again."

She scrutinized him and slowly brought her hand over to grasp his.

"I think this is pretty great, and it's not too late for something to happen."

She leaned over and kissed him, and Bran felt as though he could dance around the room all night, leaving his wheelchair behind.

* * *

Robb pulled Jeyne to her feet despite her protests. Smiling in spite of herself, she deposited a sleeping Ned into Catelyn's arms and allowed herself to be escorted onto the dance floor.

She looked up at her husband and smiled, unsure. Sometimes, it felt like she was living with a stranger. He had married her out of a misplaced sense of duty, and there were times that she felt that he was just going through the motions of being a husband and a father. She had been there for them when he was going through all the horrible stuff with his family, and that had been when he'd slept with her for the first time, getting her pregnant with their son.

She knew that the baby and his broken engagement with the Frey girl had put more strain on him, but after he'd married her, he had closed her out, and she knew that it had partially been in anger.

Now, Robb was under pressure again with all of the stuff going on with Tyrion and Fury Enterprises, and he had finally begun to rely on her again. He came to her with his thoughts and concerns, and she was helping him through. They were in a better place than they had been when she'd found out she was expecting Ned.

Tracing his fingertips across her cheek, he gave her a soft smile.

"Thank you for sticking with me," she whispered.

He shook his head.

"No. Thank you for sticking with _me_."

* * *

Shireen and Rickon laughed delightedly as Jon and Ygritte shoved cake into each other's faces. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up to the table so they could get cake.

Shireen blushed at the contact and looked up at him shyly from under her lashes. Ever since the dance, Rickon had been more affectionate with her, but she wasn't sure if he still thought of her as a friend or…more than that.

He had kissed her goodnight after the dance, but he hadn't done it again since. He handed her a piece of cake, smiling at her as he did.

Suddenly, all the girls began clamoring around Ygritte. She grinned and turned her back to them, poised to throw her bouquet. Rickon pushed her toward the group encouragingly, taking her plate as he did. She looked at him uncertainly, but he only nodded enthusiastically.

The bouquet went flying. Arya was jostling everyone wildly, and Gendry guffawed at her. Sansa was hanging behind demurely in the back, not wanting to hurt anyone. Almost as if it were a dream, the bouquet landed right into her arms.

Everyone cheered, and Shireen grinned dazedly, hearing Rickon's shouts in the background.

"That's my girlfriend!" he shouted, pointing proudly at her.

* * *

"Gendry! Dance with me!"

He laughed.

"Always so demanding."

She laughed too, dragging him onto the floor as she did.

The party had been going on for hours, and they had been dancing for most of it, but Arya still wasn't tired. She had been drinking for most of the night, but Gendry had been monitoring her and pumping water into her at every possible moment, and she was more tipsy than drunk.

He pulled her close as the final song played, slow and sweet. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly into his ear. She had been happily barefoot all evening, and as such, she stood more than a foot shorter than him. He pressed a kiss into her head, still not quite believing how lucky he was.

When the song ended, Arya grinned up at him. She yawned and suddenly realized how sleepy she was.

"That was more fun than I thought it would be."

"Well that's good to hear, because you get to help plan another one soon!"

Arya grimaced.

"And I thought Sansa was bad during this one. She's going to be unbearable when it's _her_ wedding we're planning." Gendry laughed heartily at that.

Arya continued, looking distantly annoyed.

"Sometimes, I think that these things are more trouble than they're worth. When we do it, we're eloping."

Arya froze, suddenly realizing what she'd said. Gundry's heart swooped. She looked up at him uncertainly. He gave her a crooked smile and pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Deal."

They walked out to the car, hand-in-hand.

* * *

**So everyone got a happy ending! Yes, I know it's cliché and cheesy, but it's a WEDDING! And I couldn't resist.**

**Sorry for the wait; this was a long chapter to write.**

**Thanks to everyone for the continued reviews and support! I just want to say that I will most definitely continue this story, and I will stick with it to the end! Fair warning, this is shaping up to be a long story, so be prepared! xxx**


	15. Chapter 15

**Just a short little something that I wrote last night. I was going to add to it and make it longer, but I think this stands alone just fine.**

**GRRM owns the characters and ASOIAF. I write for fun and not for profit!**

* * *

Arya tiredly crunched on her cereal the next morning, an uneasy feeling in her stomach. The whole week had been going extremely well, and last night had been perfect, but whenever she thought about Gendry, she would shift uncomfortably. A lot had happened between the two of them in the last couple of days, but it had been all good. She couldn't understand why thinking about him made her anxious instead of happy.

Her parents were across the room, talking affectionately and flipping through pictures on her dad's camera from the night before.

Next to her, Theon was grumpily drinking his coffee. His room was right next to Jon and Ygritte's, and he'd walked into the kitchen complaining that they were so loud that they had kept him up all night. Ned and Cat had looked embarrassed at that, and Arya had tried to laugh, but she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts.

Sansa stumbled in next, looking sleepy and, for the first time in her life, disheveled. She poured herself a cup of coffee and plopped down in the seat on the other side of Arya. The three at the table didn't say anything; they just ate and drank silently.

When Gendry walked in, he smiled over at Arya, but she didn't return it. She just stared blankly at him, not understanding why the sight of him made her so anxious. If he noticed her troubled look, he didn't show it, and he came over instead and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

She stiffened at the contact without thinking about it. Theon was too thick to notice it, and he kept dully drinking his coffee, but Gendry and Sansa picked up on her weird behavior and shot her curious looks. Gendry's was colored with hurt and confusion, and she tried to ignore it.

He sat down across from them and reached for Arya's hand that was resting on the table. She snatched it back quickly and tried to play it off by scratching her head. Sansa's eyebrows shot up. Gendry didn't look confused anymore. He just looked upset. And a little angry.

He tried to start a conversation and pretend like nothing had happened. Only Sansa participated. Arya stared moodily down at the table and traced the wooden grains with her finger. Finally, Gendry stood to leave. He walked out the door with a goodbye to them all. Theon grunted and Sansa smiled, but Arya didn't even acknowledge him.

"What's with you?" Sansa hissed.

Arya jerked her shoulders into a shrug.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You were so rude to Gendry this morning that it bordered on cruel!"

"No I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were! You always do this. You self-sabotage. Just when you finally let someone in, you push them away. You did it to Gendry last year, and you're doing it to him again!"

"Shut-_up _Sansa."

Arya pushed away from the table and stalked away. She knew her sister was right, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. Ever since their father had abandoned them, she'd had trust issues. Closing people out had become her defense mechanism, and she wasn't very good at turning it off.

She and Gendry had moved so fast, and even though she knew he was what she wanted, she was terrified to trust him completely.

When she walked back into her room, she saw Gendry sitting on her bed, arms crossed.

"Hey. We're not doing this. Not again."

Arya said nothing.

"I know how you are. I can see how you watch me sometimes, listening for the things I say and the things I don't. I know you test me. You want to see how far you can push me until I leave for good. I'm not going to leave you. I know our past gives you reason to believe that I will, but I swear to you, I'm not going anywhere."

He was staring at her with that stubborn look on his face, jaw clenched and eyes set. She nodded slowly, still feeling the uncertainty bubbling underneath.

She crawled into his lap and he wrapped his arms around her. They were both shaking, she realized. She took his hands and held them until the tremors stopped.

* * *

Sansa sighed. Sometimes, she just didn't understand her little sister. Arya had always been hard-headed and independent, and she had always done what she wanted. Her parents had never been able to rein her in, but they hadn't really tried that hard, especially not her father.

Gendry had been good for her. He gave her stability and calm, his patience and carefulness balancing out her recklessness and his stubborn nature counteracting her own. Even her father liked the boy, and he was always against any and all boys that tried to date his daughters.

Sansa smiled and stared at her father now. His kind eyes and broad shoulders had been such a source of solace and strength for her when she was little. As she looked at him, she saw that he had more wrinkles on his face and more bags under his eyes, but he was still the same loving father she remembered from when he was younger. He and her mother were laughing together, looking happier than they had in days.

The bleating of Ned's cell phone ripped through the happy picture, and his face abruptly changed to concern.

"This is Ned."

He looked grim-faced as he listened to the person on the other end. Sansa watched as her father's face morphed from solemnity to confusion to shock to horror. He groped for a chair and sat down heavily. Cat fluttered behind him, looking concerned. Finally, the person on the other end stopped speaking, and Ned replied to him.

"You can't be serious."

* * *

**I brought the drama this morning haha**

**Just a quick note about Catelyn. I changed her character the most for this because I really wanted her to be a good maternal figure for Jon. I feel so sad for him in the show and think he deserves some love!**

**Thanks for everything guys! Y'all are the best! xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Super short update! I have a huge project due Thursday that I've been trying to work on, (summer classes=terrible life decision) but I couldn't tear myself entirely away from writing this. Once this project's over and done with, I'll be free to focus my attention back on writing!**

**As always, I give credit to GRRM for the characters and for ASOIAF. I don't write this for profit (if I did, I would not be doing this soul-crushing, life-ruining project!)**

* * *

He sped through the streets, changing lanes and passing cars recklessly. His phone was ringing incessantly, and he cursed. It had fallen under his seat, and he was trying to dig it out while also holding the wheel steady. The ringing stopped, and there was a beeping noise a minute later. He knew he had yet another angry voicemail waiting for him.

His fingers brushed the edge of his phone, and he stretched a bit more, swerving dangerously as his fingers finally closed around it. Before he could even move to answer the new call coming in, he heard the wailing of sirens and saw the flashing of lights in his rearview mirror.

He angrily jerked the car over to the shoulder and slammed it into park. He opened his window and waited, his fingers strumming the steering wheel impatiently. His brother was going to kill him for being so late.

He glanced in his side mirror and watched as the officer unfolded herself from the car. She was extremely tall and slender, and she walked with a purposeful gait to where he sat. She leaned down and looked at him. Surprise colored her features when she realized who he was, but it passed quickly, and she quickly resumed her stare of indifference.

He nodded querulously at her.

"Officer Tarth."

"License and registration, please."

He handed them over silently and waited as she walked back to her car. She returned moments later while filling out a ticket. His phone was ringing again.

"Do you know how fast you were going, Mr. Lannister?"

Jamie grinned at her impishly.

"I'm guessing it wasn't the speed limit."

"It was twenty miles _above_ the speed limit."

He nodded with false seriousness.

"I apologize, truly. My father just died, you see, and I am…aggrieved. I guess a little road rage came out. It's all a part of the mourning process, I believe."

She scowled at him, the look not sitting well on her already ungainly face. She thrust the ticket at him, not buying it for a second. His phone beeped again.

He glowered at the tiny piece of paper and decided that she really was quite an ugly woman. Tall and mannish, she was all bellicosity and rigidity. She adhered unfalteringly to the law, and as a result, she had few friends in the police force, prone as it was to corruption. The majority of the police were bought and paid for, he knew, because it was his family that had footed the bill.

She was one of the few officers loyal to the job and not the paycheck. She had always been a persistent thorn in the Lannisters' side, and it appeared that she still was. She got back in the cruiser and drove past him. After she'd gone, Jamie crumpled the ticket and threw it in his backseat to join his loudly complaining cell phone.

* * *

When he finally burst into his brother's office, he found Tyrion and his wife staring daggers at him.

"Jamie. Terribly sorry for the inconvenience this meeting obviously caused you. I'm so glad you could squeeze it in between exposing your sister for her incestuous affair with her cousin and ignoring your brother who might go on trial for your father's murder."

Jamie clenched his jaw. The truth about Cersei had come out about a week ago, but they had both agreed to keep it quiet for the moment. The company really didn't need any more bad press.

"Well, why did you call me over here so urgently?"

"In light of your recent discovery regarding our sister, an issue has come up with Robert's will. It stipulates that the company pass to Robert's biological son. Ned Stark drew it up himself. I think he suspected that Cersei's children didn't belong to Robert."

"I still don't understand the concern. Even if Joffrey isn't Robert's son, no one outside of us knows it. Who's going to challenge Joffrey's claim?"

"The Baratheons."

Jamie snorted.

"What? Stannis and Renly? Stannis can't run a business, and Renly doesn't even want it."

"They found Robert's son, Jamie."

"Who is it?"

"Some boy whose mother he had an affair with over twenty years ago. I just got off the phone with Ned Stark. The boy's with them right now. I think he's dating the youngest Stark girl. They're bringing him home tomorrow."

"Does the boy know?"

Tyrion shook his head.

"That's why I called Ned. I figured he was the best one to explain it to him."

"Well, he's in for one hell of a shock."

* * *

**I wasn't sure how much drama to put in this because I wanted to mainly keep this light, but that can get boring. **

**My original plan when I started writing this was to just focus on Sansa's wedding, but the characters sort of took over, and I deviated a bit from that plan. The SanSan wedding is still going to be a focal point, as will Arya's involvement in it.**

**I wanted to create a conflict that wasn't too heavy, so I hope this works. I promise there will still be plenty of fluff, but if y'all hate the path this has taken, I can deviate right back! xxx**


	17. Chapter 17

**I did not mean to be absent from this for so long! I got sick yesterday, and spent the whole day reliving my childhood and watching kid's movies with my brother!**

**I'm feeling slightly better today...this is short, and I wanted to make it longer, but I have to go to work! Slight warning...it gets a little M in the middle. I don't know if I should change the rating for this fic or what. I wanted to keep it T, but my inner smut monster keeps wanting to come out.**

**Anyways, as always, GRRM gets all the credit for the characters and ASOIAF. I own nothing, and I don't make a profit or anything for writing this!**

* * *

The day had been a long one. After her father's strange phone call, he had gone to talk to Arya and Gendry, looking grave. Sansa and Cat had looked at each other worriedly; neither had any idea what was going on. Afterwards, Ned had disappeared inside his and Cat's room to make phone calls. He had that anxious look on his face that brought back memories of last year and made Sansa's stomach turn over with uneasiness.

Arya and Gendry had kept to themselves, whispering somberly, looking alternatingly worried and angry. Even when the family had all gone to the beach, they had settled themselves a distance down the beach, away from the others. They hadn't laughed or played or even gone in the water.

Sansa shifted around in bed, trying to ignore the ball of anxiety that had settled in the pit of her stomach. The door cracked open, and Sansa knew by the little silhouette that it was Arya. She crawled into bed next to her sister and snuggled close to her. Both sisters breathed in the dark. Arya's eyes shone as she looked at her sister.

"Gendry is Robert Baratheon's son. He is heir to Fury Enterprises."

Sansa gasped.

"What does that mean for you two?"

She could feel her sister's shrug.

"We're flying back tomorrow so that he can meet with Robert's brothers. He doesn't want the company."

"Joffrey is going to be so angry."

"I think a lot of people are going to be angry. Dad thinks Gendry's life is in danger. There is a trail of dead people forming who were all connected to that company. He just needs to sign over control and get out of there, fast."

"Arya, I think Dad's in danger, too. He's investigating Fury's illegal financial activity."

"He won't drop the case. He believes too much in doing the right thing. It would be dishonest to ignore what's happening, and Dad would never be able to live with himself if he walked away."

"He might not be alive at all if he keeps this up!"

Arya's sigh stretched through the room and gave way to silence. The door opened again, and Sandor's hulking figure made its way over to the bed. He didn't see Arya and almost crushed her as he started to lie down. He jumped up at hearing her alarmed squeal. Scooping her up, he hefted her out of bed and dumped her unceremoniously outside the door. Before closing it, he gave her a wicked smile.

"Sorry, little one, but I need some quality one-on-one time with my fiancé. The door swung shut, and Arya turned and walked to her room, grumbling all the way.

* * *

Feeling his big arms around her, Sansa finally relaxed, letting her body melt against his. She turned so that she was facing him, bringing her hands to his face and lightly brushing her fingers over it. She lightly traced a finger over his scar, making a path from his ear to the corner of his lip. Capturing it in his mouth, he sucked lightly on it before letting it go. Sansa felt a heat rush to her face, and she pressed herself closer to him.

Their lips found each other in the dark, and they met eagerly. Sansa let go of all her worry and stress, only aware of Sandor. Gently, he lifted the hem of her nightgown, allowing his hand to graze the inside of her thigh. His touch left a tingling path on her skin, and Sansa found herself reacting wildly to it. Pulling him on top of her, she tugged his shirt off and began tracing light kisses down his chest. His heart beat erratically against her cheek. She brought her mouth back to his again, moaning in desperate need against his lips.

He undressed them both slowly and continued to stroke her. Back arching, she bucked her hips against his. Smiling, he moved slightly away from her and peppered her with kisses from her neck down to her belly button. Panting slightly, she felt his tongue tease her where she needed him most. She grabbed his face and brought him back to her, kissing him hard. He finally slid inside of her, causing her to cry out in pleasure.

Relishing the feel of him, Sansa ground her hips against him, trying to pull him in deeper. Their movements were slow at first, but they gradually grew faster. They clutched each other almost painfully, both of their bodies begging for relief. She clenched and finally felt the release, and he followed soon after.

He pulled out of her, and she burrowed into his side, enjoying his reassuring warmth. Sleep came to her quickly. Her breathing evened out and matched his slow and rumbling pace.

* * *

Dinner with the Baratheons was an uncomfortable affair. Gendry sat beside her, stiff and serious, his blue eyes worried. His rigidity matched that of his uncle, Stannis, who looked equally grave. Renly was the only one apparently at ease, and he beamed across the table at the two of them.

After the awkward introductions, the topic of conversation moved to Fury Enterprises and Gendry's plans for it. Gendry made it perfectly clear that he didn't want the company, and the brothers were quick to speak up.

"Well, Loras thinks I would be excellent for CEO," Renly said at the exact same time Stannis said, "Melisandre told me that the company was meant for me."

There was an awkward pause before Renly smiled brightly at his nephew and patted him on the back.

"Well, nothing needs to be decided right now. Just as long as it stays tied with the Baratheon name, right?"

Gendry had nodded unconvincingly, seizing Arya's hand under the table. She squeezed it supportively, unable to shake the disquiet within her.

Stannis and Renly were both looking at Gendry with hard eyes, and Arya noted the artificial brightness they had. They were surrounded by dangerous people, and she wasn't sure how they were going to escape them.

Renly raised his glass, beaming around at all of them. The three others followed suit. Stannis's mouth was in a grim line, Gendry's eyes were clouded with uncertainty, and Arya was frowning in suspicion. Renly's eyes lingered over each face before he spoke again.

"To the company and the Baratheons! Ours is the Fury!"

* * *

**Bahahaha you have no idea how long I've wanted to write that Renly line!**

**So there you go...you asked for some SanSan lovin and you received!**

**I have a plan for this story, but I've decided that it's going to take a sort of meandering path to the conclusion because I just really want to include a bunch of fluffy interactions between the characters. They really take a beating in the books and show, so I think they all deserve a break!**

**Thanks for everyone's reading and supporting this! xxx**


	18. Chapter 18

**My final exam is tomorrow. Did I study? No. I wrote this instead. I feel like I made the better choice hahaha**

**Sorry this took so long for me to update. I really don't have an excuse. I just had school and work and other stuff to deal with, and this sort of fell to the wayside. But I'm back! And tomorrow's my last day of summer classes, and after that, I have a few weeks to chill and write to my heart's content. And then the fall semester will start. That will be awful, and I probably won't update as often as I would like.**

**But let's not dwell on that! I have the next chapter of this partly written. I'm going to get up at the crack of dawn to study for my test and after that, I will hopefully post another chapter!**

**GRRM owns all characters and ASOIAF. I just write for fun (and to avoid homework) and I don't do this for profit!**

* * *

Renly walked Arya, Gendry, and Stannis to the door, chattering happily at them as they went. Gendry was looking at him with glowing eyes, and it made Arya's stomach turn over with uneasiness. Though he'd had his doubts about the uncles he never knew he had, the dinner had won him over, Arya could tell.

Renly had been all charm and laughter, joking easily with them and smiling frequently. Even Stannis, who was normally standoffish, had been weirdly inclusive, calling Gendry a part of the family and telling him that they all had a duty to one another. Gendry had reveled in the attention, but Arya had only grown more and more suspicious.

They said their goodbyes, Stannis nodding to his brother and giving stiff handshakes to his nephew and girlfriend. Renly wrapped his arms tightly around Gendry's shoulders, slapping him heartily on the back. He then scooped Arya up. She yelped as his hug lifted her off the ground. She frowned grumpily, and Gendry gently guided her out, laughing as he went.

Arya's scowl deepened when she saw who had arrived to pick up Stannis. Melisandre stood in the driveway, smiling mysteriously as always. Arya's hand balled into a fist, and Gendry grabbed it and smoothed it out. Tracing soothing patterns on her palm, he navigated her firmly away from the strange woman and helped her into the car.

Humming happily, Gendry fiddled with the radio. Every couple of seconds, he would smile euphorically over at her, and she struggled to return the look. They had been driving for a few minutes, and he still didn't realize anything was wrong with her. In fact, he thought just the opposite. He beamed over at her.

"I gotta admit, I was worried about dinner, but it went really well! My uncles are really great, and I think they want us to be a family."

Arya snorted, and for the first time, a shade of concern passed over his face.

"What's wrong?"

"I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were blind, too."

She didn't' do worried well, so her words had come out biting and cruel, and she regretted them instantly, especially after seeing how much they stung him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Stannis and Renly don't give a shit about you! They just want to make sure you sign over the company to them, and then they'll dump you. You didn't exist to them before you inherited the company, and you won't exist to them after you give it away. You're only going to matter to them for the two seconds that they need something from you."

Everything she was saying was coming out wrong. She wasn't angry at Gendry; she was angry at Stannis and Renly. The fury she had built towards them at dinner was now being unleashed on him. She was hurting him, and that fact hurt her, but she didn't know how to stop. Arya wasn't used to being scared, and instead of talking through her feelings, she lashed out.

"Just because _your_ family abandoned _you_ doesn't mean that everyone else's will do the same thing!"

That comment hurt, and he'd meant for it to.

"You didn't even know they were your family until a week ago! They haven't been there for you the way I have. I've seen you through some pretty awful things, and I've supported you through it all!"

The more she yelled at him, the more she began to realize that she was mad at him, too. His decisions were going to hurt them both and pull them apart. He had promised that he wouldn't leave her again, but she could feel him pulling away.

"What a great job you're doing of supporting me now."

"I'm trying to help you avoid shitty people, you stupid asshole!"

They had pulled up to her house, and she just wanted to get away from him. She leapt out of the car and slammed the door hard. But he wasn't done with her yet. Stalking angrily behind her, he followed her up the driveway. He grabbed her elbow, whipping her around to face him.

"Those _shitty_ _people_ are my family."

"No. Family is people who love you unconditionally, not people who are trying to emotionally extort millions from you."

"That's ridiculous! You're just being paranoid because you don't know how to trust people. You think everyone in the world is just as fucked up as you are."

Fingers shaking, blood boiling, she fought off the urge to hit him.

"No, Gendry. I'm right about them. I can tell. They don't want to get to know you."

"Right. Because who could love me: a stupid, bastard, orphan?"

"Gendry, that's not what I—"

"—Forget it, Arya. You wouldn't understand. I've never had a family before, and now that I finally get one, you want to rip them away from me."

"I'm your family. I have always been your family!"

"It's not the same. I—"

The rest of his words were lost in the hard, echoing slap she delivered across his face. They stood facing each other in the dark, chests heaving. Storming away from each other, both bit back angry tears. Her front door slammed at the same time his car door did, and he sped off as she crumpled to the ground.

* * *

Her red hair splayed out prettily on his lap, and her shoulders were rising and falling gently with her deep breaths. Sandor smiled down at her, still not believing how much she loved and trusted him. He stroked her shoulders and rubbed her back, feeling her stir beneath his touch.

Her eyes fluttered open and she took in the ending credits flashing on the TV screen. She sat up groggily, a slight frown pulling at her lips.

"Did I miss the end? I can't believe I fell asleep!"

Laughingly, he placed a small kiss on her nose.

"You needed the rest, love."

"I must have." She rubbed her eyes before pulling herself into his lap. His arms instantly wrapped around her, and she nestled against his chest, relishing his warmth and strength.

"Robb and Jeyne will be over soon," he reminded her quietly.

"Oh! I forgot we agreed to babysit Ned tonight!"

As if on cue, there was a knocking at the door. Sansa unwillingly unfolded herself from Sandor's lap and went to answer it. On the other side, Jeyne smiled sweetly at her before depositing the gurgling baby into her arms.

"Thanks so much for doing this! Robb is waiting downstairs in the car, so I really have to hurry. I'm sorry!"

Appearing behind Sansa, Sandor reached out and took the diaper bag.

"Oh, thank you, Sandor! Everything you need should be in there! You know our phone numbers of course, and please don't hesitate to call if you need anything. We should be back for him in a few hours!"

She gave all three a swift kiss on the cheek before hurrying away. Sansa laughed a bit breathlessly at the woman's frantic speech before moving back into the apartment.

No sooner had she shut the door than Ned began to wail. No matter what she did, she couldn't quiet him. Sandor hovered around her uncertainly, wanting to help but not sure how to.

Finally, she thrust the baby into his arms so she could dig through the bag for his pacifier. Ned's screams instantly quieted, and Sansa looked up incredulously. She stifled a laugh at the big man hunched over the tiny infant. He looked absolutely terrified by the little bundle in his arms.

Cooing slightly, Ned reached a pudgy hand up to Sandor's face, evidently enthralled by it. Sansa's heart swelled at the sight. Not wanting to embarrass him, she tried not to gush too much. Sandor blinked over at her, looking gruffly pleased.

When the baby finally fell asleep, she took him into her arms and settled on the couch. Sandor joined her a few minutes later, frowning slightly at his phone.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to fly out for a meeting tomorrow morning." Sighing heavily, he glanced worriedly at her. She bit her lip and tried not to look too upset.

"How long will you be gone?"

"I should only be a couple of days. Will you be okay?"

Sansa had never been an easy sleeper, and she did especially poorly when they were apart. Not wanting to worry him further, she nodded.

"I'll have Arya come and stay with me at my place. I don't like sleeping here without you."

He kissed her lightly on the lips before draping an arm around her and pulling her close. Both of them stared down at the sleeping Ned. Sansa smiled softly and thought how she couldn't wait until it was their baby she was holding.

* * *

Arya sprawled on Sansa's bed and watched the ceiling fan spin above her. Her feet were hanging over the edge, and she swung them back and forth.

"Arya, can you hand me that bag next to you?"

Sitting up, she stared at her sister oddly. Sansa was wearing one of Sandor's shirts and a pair of mismatched socks. Despite her height, the shirt completely engulfed her, the hem hanging past her knees and the neck falling over one shoulder. All of her dresser drawers were open, and clothes were spilling out of them and her closet. Shopping bags were all over the floor, and Sansa was digging through them busily.

"What're you doing, Sans?"

"Sorting through all of this. I don't even remember buying half of these things!"

Curiously, Arya seized the shopping bag beside her that Sansa had asked for and looked in.

"Sansa, what do you need a $3000 blanket for?" Holding it up for Sansa to see, Arya looked at her incredulously.

"It's cashmere! It's classic! It will last forever." Sansa nodded at her seriously. Arya threw it at her and rolled her eyes.

"Sandor must really love you."

Her older sister laughed, and Arya could see how happy she was. She had visibly relaxed since they had gotten back from the wedding, and she knew it was because most of the pressure from planning it had been relieved.

Sansa plopped onto the floor and started pulling clothes out of bags, studying receipts as she did. Arya slid down to the floor to sit next to her.

"Hey," she said, knocking her shoulder against Sansa's, "how are you doing after…everything that happened?"

Knowing she was talking about her slight breakdown, Sansa flushed and then smiled softly.

"I'm good. Sandor finally convinced me to go talk to someone, and Dr. Mordane has actually been helping a lot. Sometimes, Sandor goes with me to see her. Joffrey did a lot of emotional damage."

She studied her hands solemnly, and Arya impulsively grabbed one.

"He's the worst, and if I ever see him, I'm going to kick his ass."

Despite Arya's furious expression, Sansa dissolved into delighted laughter, thankful for her sister's protectiveness and loyalty. Arya soon joined in, and Sansa continued sorting through her purchases as Arya watched with a mixture of amusement and horror at the staggering amount of _things_ that Sansa owned.

"How are _you_?"

She hesitated before answering Sansa's question. Shrugging her shoulders, Arya looked moodily at the floor.

"I don't know. Gendry's been distant lately. He's never really had a parental influence in his life. You know his mom died when he was young, and Robert died before he found out he was his father. I think part of him really wants Stannis and Renly to fill that void. But when we went to that dinner with them, something just felt off. I told him that I thought his uncles were just using him to get to the company, and he got really upset with me."

"How are you two doing now?" Sana's voice was gentle, and her tone was concerned.

"Terrible." Her voice broke slightly, but she continued on. "He basically told me that I wasn't his family, and that Stannis and Renly are. We haven't talked since then."

"He'll come around, Arya. He loves you. He's hurt right now, but he would never pick anyone over you."

As she let herself be pulled into a tight hug, Arya desperately hoped that her sister was right.

* * *

**I'm sorely tempted to do the prequel to this story...like Sansa dating Joffrey in college and how she met Sandor. And Arya and Gendry dating the first time around. Even though I probably shouldn't take on anther story, I feel like that will emerge eventually.**

**Anyways, the inspiration for this one is still going strong, so I should post another chapter soon! xxx**


	19. Chapter 19

**My plans for tonight got cancelled, so I decided to write! It has been so long...it's good to get back!**

**As always, GRRM gets all credit. I don't write for profit!**

* * *

"Are you coming with me to shop for my engagement party dress?"

Arya grunted while shoveling pancakes into her mouth. Wrinkling her nose, Sansa pulled the plate away from her.

"Come on, I have to go to work, and you're going to be late for school! Are you going shopping with me?"

"Yes! Geez!"

Sansa sighed. Arya had been prickly ever since her fight with Gendry, and things between them still hadn't thawed.

"Okay, well, let's go then."

Gathering her bags, Arya followed her out to the car.

"Do you have everything you need? You didn't forget anything?"

"I'm fine Sansa! Lay off!"

"Please stop jumping down my throat with everything I say. I know you're upset about Gendry, but I'm just trying to help you."

"I know! I'm sorry, okay? I'm just so tired of having Gendry mad at me. He always calls me right after our fights. I don't know why this time is different. He barely even knows Stannis and Renly, and I thought I meant more to him than that."

"Gendry has been on his own for most of his life, and I know that he had you and Jon, and he has our family now, but he just found out about his uncles. And I think he's probably confused. He loves you and he wants you to be a part of his life, and Stannis and Renly are part of his life now. Maybe he feels like by rejecting his family, you're rejecting him. It's fine for you to be worried about him, but you need to be supportive and open. You are both so defensive and way too hotheaded."

Arya buried her head in her hands on her lap.

"Argh I can't think about this right now! He'll call me soon and apologize."

"Maybe you should call him."

She could tell by the stubborn set in her sister's jaw that she was never going to admit she was wrong, so with a gentle nudge, she pushed her out of the car. As she was pulling away, she rolled down the window, and Arya leaned over.

"Do you need me to come pick you up for shopping later?"

"Naw, I'll catch a ride from mom or something."

"Okay. Have a good day. I love you. Call Gendry!" she shouted as she drove away. Grimacing, Arya waved her off and hurried to first period.

* * *

His phone rang, and he glanced at the screen, disappointed. Renly again. The phone had been ringing all morning and all of the calls had been from his uncles. For every call Stannis made, Renly made ten, and Gendry hadn't been answering any of them. There was only one person he wanted to talk to, but he was still too hurt to be the first one to break the ice between them.

The frequency and persistence of his uncles' calls unnerved him, and he knew that it was in large part due to the fact that Arya's words were still echoing in his mind. He was so uncertain about what to do, and what he needed from Arya was support, not more doubts.

As the phone's ringing broke through his thoughts yet again, he sighed. He wasn't getting any work done; he was too distracted. Arya weighed heaviest on his thoughts, and he missed having her by his side. His phone beeped, and he glanced at the screen in annoyance.

He was surprised to see a text from Sansa, and he read it quickly. She was worried about him and offered to be there if he needed someone to talk to. Making up his mind, he grabbed his keys before heading to the elementary school.

* * *

Sansa tried not to laugh as she watched Gendry interact with her kindergarteners. He was sitting in one of their tiny chairs at one of the round tables, knees up to his armpits. It was craft time, and he was chatting with the kids easily while helping them paint their pictures. One of the little girls had taken to him and he was good-naturedly letting her draw all over him with markers.

The sight warmed Sansa's heart. She knew that Gendry was a good guy, and seeing how sweet he was with the little ones only served to remind her of this. It also made her more upset to know that he and Arya weren't on speaking terms.

When he'd stopped by unexpectedly an hour earlier, she had seen the tension and sadness in his eyes, and she had ushered him into her classroom worriedly. They hadn't spoken much, and she could see that he wasn't sure how to begin.

As they cleaned up the paint and paintbrushes and herded the kids to the playground for recess, she felt his eyes on her. They settled on a bench and watched them play for a while before she finally spoke.

"How are you, Gendry?"

He shrugged.

"I'm okay. How is she?"

"She misses you. She thinks you chose Stannis and Renly over her. She said you told her she wasn't your family."

"That's not what I said! She never lets me finish what I want to say! Your sister is stubborn as they come."

Sansa laughed.

"You are two peas in a pod! But one of you has to break the silence, you know."

* * *

Arya sighed as the final bell rang. She gathered her things and filed out of the room with the rest of her classmates. Happy chatter and laughter sounded all around her, but all she could feel was annoyance and frustration.

So many times, she had come close to swallowing her pride and texting him. She had even gone so far as to type the words, but she stopped short of hitting send every time. Bursting out the front doors, she blinked in the sunlight.

Ahead of her, two girls were blushing and giggling. They were looking in the direction of the parking lot and were whispering to each other giddily. Arya suddenly became aware of other classmates of hers, all girls, looking to the parking lot with flushed cheeks and shining eyes.

Rolling her eyes at them, she looked in the direction they were staring. Her heart surged painfully when she saw him.

There, leaning up against his car, looking handsome and serious, was Gendry. _Her_ Gendry. He only had eyes for her, and his gaze was direct and intense. Jealous heads swiveled to stare at her disbelievingly as she drew closer to him. He held out his hand to her, but she didn't take it.

Crossing her arms, she shifted from one foot to the other and regarded him warily.

"What do you want?"

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Pretend like you don't care."

"Last time I checked, it was you who didn't care! You threw me away as soon as your real family came along!"

"Arya, that's not what I meant. If you had given me a chance to explain—"

"Explain what? How you don't need me anymore?"

"No! I need you now more than ever"

"I told you I was your family, and you said it wasn't the same."

"It's _not_ the same. With you, I never have to doubt that I love you, and I know that you will always be there for me. With them, I feel like I need to prove myself to them. I don't want them to abandon me. Not when I just got them."

She heard his sigh and instantly felt bad that she had left him to deal with everything alone. Leaning into him, she allowed him to pull her into a tight hug.

"Arya, I was so worried about losing them that I pushed you away. I'm so sorry."

"No. I'm sorry. I should have been more supportive and understanding. I just jumped to conclusions and didn't listen to you."

"Arya Stark was being hardheaded. Who would have thought?"

Grinning, he deflected her light punch before pulling her closer.

"So are we on speaking terms again?"

Instead of answering her, Gendry lifted her and brought his lips to hers.

* * *

"Sansa! Look at this one!"

Holding up a pale pink gown, Jane smiled at her hopefully.

Distractedly, Sansa nodded at her without looking at it.

"Okay, what gives? You have been distracted all afternoon. Your engagement party is in a week, and you still haven't picked out a dress!"

"I'm sorry, Jane. I just don't know where Arya is. She was supposed to meet us and hour ago, and she's not answering my calls. What's so funny?"

With a smirk, Jane pointed out the window of the store. Sansa whipped around just in time to see Arya scrambling out of Gendry's car after giving him one last kiss goodbye. Her clothes were suspiciously rumpled, and with narrowed eyes, Sansa noted her sister's flushed face and disheveled hair.

"Seriously?! She's unbelievable sometimes!" she exclaimed as Jane sniggered behind her.

The bell tinkled as Arya entered the store, and she looked so happy that Sansa didn't have the heart to scold her. She pulled her little sister into quick hug before turning her attention to the dresses in earnest.

Apathetically, Arya flipped through the racks.

"Where's Margaery? Doesn't she love this kind of thing?"

"I asked her to come, but she said she had a familial obligation."

"You sure about that?"

Arya nodded out the window, and for the second time that afternoon, Sansa turned to look out of it. She was not prepared for what she saw.

Mouths hanging open—Sansa's in shock and Arya's in outrage—they watched as Margaery strolled by, hand-in-hand with Joffrey.

* * *

**I think I'm a little rusty at writing this...I plan on updating more frequently, so I should be back in the swing of things soon!**

**I decided to spell Jeyne Poole's name 'Jane' to more easily differentiate her from Robb's wife. I hope that doesn't bother anyone too much!**

**Have a good rest of the weekend! Thanks for reading! xxx**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay, so in this chapter, I drop some drama bombs! The engagement party's soon, so that'll be some fluff, and then...I can't say...but I'm super pumped for this upcoming plot!**

**GRRM owns all characters and ASOIAF. I don't write for profit!**

* * *

Those malicious green eyes, those sharp cheekbones, that cruel beauty, that smug smile; all the things that haunted Sansa's dreams were walking past, arm-in-arm with her best friend. The more she stared, the more panicked she grew. Her heart was beating so hard, she could see her chest moving with the force of it. Her breathing was short and shallow and became more and more painfully difficult.

There was a buzzing sound in her ears, and she felt her knees go weak. She hadn't seen Joffrey in close to a year. He had faded to a nightmare, and she had finally started to believe that her dreams were the only place she'd have to see him. Now, he was back in her life, a flesh-and-blood monster.

There was a horrible rasping noise, and it took her a minute to realize that it was the sound of her own breathing. She finally managed to rip her eyes away from them. Her gaze settled on Arya. Her sister was a blurred image through her tears. Numbly, she reached out for her, and Arya quickly guided her to a chair. As her chest tightened, breathing became excruciating and then impossible. Blackness started pressing in from all sides.

She hadn't had a panic attack since she'd met Sandor, but she was having one now. Unable to speak, she stared at Arya with wide, terrified eyes. Anxiety was written plainly on her face. She tried to settle Sansa. Jane behind her was agape with worry. Without taking her eyes off her older sister, Arya told Jane to go get a glass of water.

Sansa dragged her phone out of her pocket and tried to dial. Her hands were shaking so hard, she couldn't press the buttons. Knowing what she wanted, Arya took the phone gently from her grasp and called Sandor's number. She wordlessly returned the phone to Sansa's trembling grasp.

The phone rang only once before Sandor's voice rasped through, rough and reassuring. Hearing him, Sansa lost the last vestiges of her self-control. She only managed to choke out his name before her words became swallowed by sobs.

"Sansa? Sansa! SANSA! What's going on? Are you hurt?"

"N-no. Well, I-I don't kn-know! Oh my God, oh my God. S-Sandor. He's here! He's he-here!"

"Who is here? Did _he_ hurt you? Sansa, please, talk to me. Are you physically okay?"

From where Arya was sitting, she could hear Sandor's voice through the phone as it grew increasingly upset. Sansa was beyond the ability to speak, so she took the phone from her to give her a chance to collect herself.

"Sandor? It's Arya.

"What the hell's going on? Why is Sansa crying?"

"Sansa's fine. Well, not really. Joffrey's in Winterfell."

"What?" His voice was sharp and dangerous.

"Yeah. He's with Margaery. We just saw him, and now Sansa's in the middle of a meltdown."

"Let me talk to her again."

Arya held the phone out to Sansa. She had calmed down somewhat, and her face was drawn and pale. Handing it to her, Arya noticed that Sansa's knuckles were white from how tightly she was gripping her phone.

"Hello?" she whispered faintly.

"Hi, love. I'm coming home, alright?"

"No! Please! I'm much better now! I just needed to talk to you. Don't leave for me. You have to take care of your business and go to your meetings. You can't let all those people down."

"I'm not worried about any of that. Right now, I only care about you."

"Please, Sandor. It will only upset me more if you miss work for me. I'll be fine. Arya is here. She'll take care of me until you come home."

To reinforce this sentiment, she grabbed Arya's hand, and her sister squeezed it back reassuringly. She could hear the regret in his voice as he agreed with some hesitation.

"Fine. I'm done meeting with the shareholders. I just have to take a quick trip to The Wall, and then I'll fly back. I should be home tomorrow morning. Is Arya still staying with you?"

"Yes."

"Alright, good. I'll see you soon, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you."

Sansa took a deep, shuddering breath and smiled at Arya weakly.

"What did he say?"

"He's coming home tomorrow morning. He just has to go do something at The Wall and then he's done."

"The Wall? Isn't that that romantic resort?" Jane had returned and was staring at the two of them with a confused frown on her face. As she handed the water to Sansa, she gasped in realization. "Sansa! Do you think he's having an affair?"

"Jane, shut up! Don't be stupid," Arya snapped. She rolled her eyes. As if Sansa needed something else to upset her. "He would never cheat on Sansa!"

"Then why's he there?"

"That's where Jon and Ygritte are honeymooning," Sansa said, her voice sounding steadier.

Arya furrowed her brow.

"That's weird. Do you think he's going there to see them?"

Sansa shrugged.

"Maybe. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Jon and Ygritte are coming home Friday."

The salesgirl walked over to them, looking apprehensive. Sansa giggled in spite of herself when she thought about the strange scene they had just made. She smiled sweetly up at the girl.

"Are you girls still doing okay? I pulled some dresses that I thought you might like to see."

Concernedly, Arya glanced at Sansa.

"Maybe you should go home, Sans. You've sort of been through an…ordeal."

"No. It's okay. My engagement party's Saturday, and I really need a dress. Besides, if I go home, I'll just think about it. This distraction will be good for me. Plus, you need a dress, too."

Arya groaned, but she was only half-annoyed. Mostly, she was happy to see some color come back to her sister's face. The three girls moved over to the rack of dresses the salesgirl had picked out and flipped through them, chatting happily. Sansa smiled, but she couldn't help but feel a nagging at the back of her mind. _Why was Joffrey here, and how was Margaery involved?_

* * *

"Okay. Alright. Well, I'll let Ned know. Thanks for telling me, Sandor. See you soon. Okay. Love you. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Cat sighed heavily.

"What was that about?" Ned stared at her with narrowed eyes.

"Joffrey's here in Winterfell. Sansa just saw him and called Sandor in tears."

Two sets of eyes moved accusingly over to the short man sitting at the dining room table playing chess with their son. Cat could tell from the tilt of his head that he had been listening to their conversation. Tyrion had become a sort of fixture in their house lately. Bran had taken to him almost instantly, and even Ned was beginning to like the man, but Cat still had her reservations about the Lannisters. He glanced up at them with uneven eyes.

"Why are you two looking at me? I didn't ask my nephew to come here. I don't speak to that side of my family anymore."

"He was with the Tyrell girl."

"Ah, the Tyrells. It does not surprise me that they are trying to latch onto the Baratheon name, grasping devious family that they are. Cersei always hated them."

"Then why is Joffrey apparently dating one of them?"

"I'm going to let you in on a secret, Ned. My family is broke. And once that DNA test comes through proving the parentage of the Waters boy, we are going to be completely ruined. With my father dead, Cersei has taken the helm, and she is driving the Lannister name into the ground. She may be half intelligent as Tywin was, but she's twice as vindictive. She'll grasp onto whatever she thinks will save her. And she'll take down whoever she sees as her enemy. And just in case you were wondering, depriving her son of his legacy makes you her enemy."

Ned looked impassive, but Cat was quick to anger at the import of his words.

"Are you threatening us?"

"No. I'm advising you. We all know that Joffrey isn't Robert Baratheon's child, and when that information is leaked, there is going to be an all-out war between our families."

Cat's stomach turned over. Hearing Tyrion's words made her thrill with fear. Grabbing Ned's hand, she dragged him out of the room. Tears sprung to her eyes, and Ned drew her into a tight hug. Leaning up against his strong frame, she closed her eyes against his chest.

"I can't do this again, Ned. I almost lost our family to the Lannister's games once before, and I don't know if we can survive them a second time."

"Things will be different this time, Cat. I'll be with you through this."

Kissing the top of her head, he stroked her back soothingly.

"Our family is strong. We'll survive this together."

* * *

Bran studied Tyrion as Tyrion studied the board.

"You know, if you want my mom to like you, vague threats probably aren't the best method."

Tyrion didn't answer right away. Slowly, very deliberately, he made his move before leaning back and waiting. He rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together.

"Believe me, there are far worse things that I could do."

"You mean, there are far worse things that you have already done."

Bran made his move, trying to bait him. He could feel the older man's hesitation.

"What is that supposed to mean? You take me for a murderer?"

Tyrion moved his piece carefully, evading his trap.

"No. You're not guilty of killing your father. But you're not innocent, either. Check."

"So what crime have I supposedly committed?"

He moved again, saving himself.

"I haven't figured it out yet. But whatever it is, it makes you uncomfortable around my dad. You've betrayed him somehow. Check."

Bran could tell by the way he shifted that Tyrion was uncomfortable. He had hit a nerve, and he wondered what Tyrion had done.

"You are unusually perceptive, Brandon Stark. That's good. You should always rely on that intuition. There will be a time, perhaps very soon, that certain things will come to light about my past. I just hope that when that time comes, you will listen to your instincts and not the accusations of other people."

Bran was suddenly thrown off balance. He watched Tyrion make his move and didn't understand what he was thinking.

He liked the man, finding his wit a match for his own, and he was the only one besides his family who didn't treat him differently for being in a wheelchair. But if it came down to choosing between Tyrion or his family, there was no doubt who he would pick.

"Sometimes, it's easier to judge the actions than the man," Bran said cautiously.

"I suppose we will see. Checkmate."

* * *

**So many characters, so little time! Don't worry, Jon and Ygritte are coming back, and they'll be playing an important role. So will certain members of the Lannister family.**

**Another chapter will hopefully, potentially be up later (much later) tonight.**

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, and THANKS for reading! xxx**


	21. Chapter 21

**This one's so long. Don't know how that happened. I just started going and didn't stop haha**

**GRRM owns all characters and ASOIAF! I don't write ****for profit****!**

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"Sansa, we've been at this for _hours_. Just pick something so we can go home and get something to eat! I'm starving."

"It's my engagement party, Arya! It has to be perfect."

Arya groaned and slumped lower in her seat. Jane giggled beside her, still enjoying herself as she watched Sansa try on dress after dress after dress after dress. Arya had already found her gown, and it was draped beside her on the couch. She had taken twenty minutes to find it, try it on, and approve it. Sansa had been at it for two hours, and Arya was ready to kill her.

"Ugh it doesn't even matter! Everyone will think you're beautiful no matter what, and the only time Sandor's going to notice your dress is when he's trying to get it off of you."

"Arya! Don't be rude. I'm almost done!"

She whipped out her phone and started texting Gendry, needing something to pass the time and distract her from her annoyance with her sister. A few minutes later, Sansa emerged, pink-faced with consternation on her brow. Sticking her tongue out at her sister, she turned and studied herself in the mirror.

She was wearing a wine-colored, floor-length gown that flowed over her lithe form and swished gracefully around her legs. The deep red against her alabaster skin gave her a glowing appearance, and Arya noticed the way her eyes danced as she lifted the skirt and turned slightly.

The gown cut an elegant form. It was high-necked with straps that fell slightly off the shoulders and a tight bodice. At the waist, the fabric flowed freely so that it draped elegantly across the skirt. The back of the dress plunged almost to the base of her spine, leaving a smooth expanse of white skin exposed. The bottom of the gown pooled prettily at her feet, creating a small train that followed her motions.

Biting her lip, she looked to the two other girls for approval.

"I think this is the one," she murmured, a smile teasing at the corner of her lips.

"Oh, Sansa, you look stunning," Jane whispered almost reverently as her fingers lightly brushed over the silken fabric. Even Arya looked impressed, her surly look temporarily replaced with one of awe.

"Definitely the one Sans," she agreed, nodding.

"You're not just saying that so we can leave, right?"

"No, I'm not! I swear to God, that dress seems practically made for you. But yes, I do want to leave."

"Okay, okay," Sansa laughed, "let me change, and then we can head out."

"_Finally_," Arya muttered as Sansa rolled her eyes.

With a relieved smile on her face, the salesgirl came to collect their choices and take them to the counter.

"I'm so glad you girls found something you liked," she beamed.

"Me too," Arya grunted. She watched as the girl wrapped their purchases and pulled her phone out again. Gendry had texted her back, wanting her to hang out and spend the night while Jon was out of town and therefore out of the apartment. She was tempted to join him, but she knew she couldn't leave Sansa alone, especially after the shock she'd just gotten from seeing Joffrey again. Regretfully, she started to respond as such when Sansa walked up beside her.

Glancing at Arya's screen, she smiled knowingly at her sister. Sansa knocked her hip against hers, and Arya looked up at her, eyebrows raised.

"So you and Gendry are on speaking terms again?"

"Oh, I think they're up to more than talking!" Jane interjected, walking up to them and throwing a wink in Arya's direction.

"I have no idea what you're referring to," Arya shot back coolly.

"Oh please! We saw you stumbling out of his car, hair and clothes a mess! Just what had you two been doing that put you in such a state?"

"We might have been making up." Arya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Jane exploded into laughter as Sansa crinkled her brow.

"Gross, Arya! In the car?"

"What, you and Sandor have never done it in the car?"

"Of course not! I'm a lady." Smoothing her hair primly, she glanced over at Arya archly.

"Alright princess, whatever you say! But don't knock it til you try it!"

"I will never try _that_, thank you!"

Sansa nodded as if that decided the issue and paid for their dresses. She gathered the bags and led the other two girls to her car. Flushed from shopping, she loaded her and Arya's dresses into the car looking happier than she had a couple of hours earlier. Her eyes were sparkling, and she was laughing and joking with the two other girls lightheartedly.

Sandor called to check in, and she stepped away to talk to him, a smile playing at her lips. Arya and Jane waited in the car, Arya sitting shotgun, and Jane in the seat behind her.

"She really loves him, huh?"

Arya looked up from the radio dials she was fiddling with to glance at the older girl. Jane was watching Sansa intently.

"Duh. She's marrying him, isn't she?"

"I mean, I know she does, but I don't think I ever realized just how close they are. I remember what Sansa was like with Joffrey. She always looked so sad. With Sandor, she never stops smiling. He's good for her, you know?"

"Yeah. Sansa needs someone to take care of her, and no one does a better job than Sandor."

"Who would have thought that Beautiful Sansa would have ended up with Sandor Clegane?"

Jane giggled, and Arya couldn't help but join in. She had to admit, they did make a pretty odd couple.

A couple of minutes later, Sansa came back over to Arya and Jane, residual happiness from her conversation with Sandor still apparent. Climbing into the driver's seat and slamming the door shut, she turned to beam at her sister.

"Let's spend the night at mom and dad's tonight, Arya. I don't want us to be alone in my apartment. Sandor agreed that it was a good idea."

"Yeah! We could have a sibling sleepover with Bran and Rickon!"

"Jane you're more than welcome to join! Please do, it'll be fun!" Sansa looked hopefully at her friend.

"Yeah, you should join! Theon will probably be there!" Arya sing-songed teasingly as Jane laughed embarrassedly.

"Oh alright! It _will_ be fun. Theon won't really be there, though, will he?" She asked the question in a small voice, and both sisters grinned at each other without answering her.

Arya turned up the volume on the radio as high as it would go. Sansa tried to tell her to turn it down but only ended up laughing and singing along. By the time that they pulled up in front of the Stark mansion, all three girls were singing at the top of their lungs.

Laughing uncontrollably, they stumbled out of the car. They ran up to the door, and Arya pounded on it. Theon opened it, eating a bag of chips and grinning at them. He was only wearing athletic shorts, and Sansa noticed that Jane was blushing as she stared as his bare chest. Biting back a grin, she nudged her friend through the door and elbowed past Theon.

Slinging his arm around her shoulder, Theon guided Jane into the living room, wasting no time in flirting with her. Shaking their heads, Sansa and Arya headed to the kitchen in search of their mother. As they entered the room, they heard a crunching noise, and they looked around for the source of it. Flinging the pantry door open, Sansa looked down disapprovingly.

Rickon stared up at them with wide eyes full of fake innocence. Cookie crumbs were all over his face and the floor, and Arya couldn't help but laugh at her little brother. She held her hand out, and Rickon handed her a cookie with a grin. Sansa frowned at them both, and she looked so much like their mother that they couldn't help but laugh.

"Rickon, you're going to ruin your dinner! Does Mom know what you're up to?"

"Does Mom know what?"

Catelyn walked in with her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Her gaze settling on her youngest son, she sighed in exasperation.

"Rickon, you're going to ruin your dinner!"

Her words only made them laugh harder, and Arya choked on her cookie. Sansa slapped her on the back a couple of times before going over to hug her mother.

Holding her for a couple of seconds longer than she had to, she finally released her daughter and studied her carefully.

"It's good to see you, sweetheart, but what are you doing here?"

"Arya and I decided to sleep here tonight if that's okay with you."

"Absolutely! Especially after the day you had! How are you feeling, anyway?"

Sansa stared at her mother queerly.

"How do you know what kind of day I had? Sandor called you, didn't he?"

"He was worried about you," Ned said, walking into the room and kissing his oldest daughter on the forehead.

"He always worries."

"He looks out for you, as he should. You know, I'm starting to like this guy more and more."

Sansa laughed and hugged her dad, forgetting the stress from the day and letting herself just enjoy being with her family. Arya's stomach growled, interrupting their moment.

"What's for dinner?" Rickon and Arya blurted at the same time.

Catelyn sighed tiredly.

"Well, I really don't feel like cooking. What do you want?"

"Pizza!" they chorused in unison.

* * *

Hours later, the Stark siblings lay sprawled around the living room, pizza boxes littering the floor and TV blaring. Ned and Cat had gone to bed, leaving them to stay up as late as they wanted. Since it was a school night, Rickon was thrilled and declared that he was staying awake all night. Arya had picked a scary movie for them to watch, and his excitement had since faded.

Now, he was sitting on the floor beside his sister, his face pale and his eyes wide. Terrified, he kept jumping and biting back screams. Arya had started the movie making fun of him, but as she watched, she had grown steadily more afraid, and she jumped almost as often as he did.

Theon and Jane were cuddled close in the armchair. Earlier, he had told Jane that she could hold his hand if she was scared, but his bravado had faded, and he was the one gripping Jane's hand hard as she laughed at him and teased him lightly.

Arms crossed, Bran sat on the couch, rolling his eyes and pointing out inaccuracies in the movie. Next to him, Sansa sat curled in the corner, fingernails biting into her cheeks. She looked ready to cry, and she kept burying her face into her hands.

"Sansa, I would close your eyes. This woman's probably about to get her guts ripped out."

"Bran, shut up! Just because you're a genius and can predict what's going to happen, that doesn't mean you should ruin the movie for the rest of us!"

"Arya, the movie's already ruined based on the fact it's some lame formulaic scary movie with a recycled plot and substandard acting!"

Their arguing was interrupted by the woman's agonizing scream on screen, and everyone flinched except for Bran. Sansa moaned faintly.

"Arya why did you pick this? I'm not going to sleep for a week."

"Sansa, there's nothing to be afraid of. This movie is completely illogical. Zombies are not real, especially not these weird ice zombies that they're showing."

Arya shushed him and stared at the screen, riveted by the action. Bran looked up as Gendry walked into the room, holding his finger up to his lips. He'd had to work late, and he decided to come over and see Arya instead of going home alone.

Arya was sitting perfectly straight, practically vibrating with nerves. He crept up behind her just as the creature on screen was sneaking up on his victim. She yelped as he grabbed her around the middle. Flailing wildly, she started punching and kicking, and he avoided her easily, chortling at her freak out.

Her eyes landed on him, and once she realized she wasn't in real danger, she punched him in earnest, and tried to push him away. Her anger melted into laughter as he lifted her up and pressed kisses all over her face.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!" Snickering, he scooped her up and carried her to the couch.

Bran looked even more annoyed as they spooned and made out beside them. He loved all of his siblings, but sometimes, Arya really grated on his nerves.

When the movie was finally over, Sansa leapt up to turn on the lights, but Theon beat her to the light switch. She could barely see him in the glow of the TV.

"Oh no! Scary stories need to be told in the dark!"

"We are _not_ telling scary stories!" Sansa declared, stamping her foot emphatically.

"Don't be such a baby!" Arya shouted from the couch.

"Oh look who decided to come up for air!" Bran said sardonically.

Ignoring him, Arya scrambled away from Gendry and grabbed Sansa's arm, pulling her over to sit between them.

"Come on, Sans, it'll be fun!"

Sansa nodded, but Bran was fed up.

"No, it won't. I'm going to bed."

Gendry got up and helped him into his wheelchair. Bran said goodnight to them all and rolled away to his room. Rickon was blinking sleepily up at them, and Sansa knew he would be asleep soon. Rickon was able to fall asleep anytime, anywhere. When he was tired, that was it. He just collapsed where he was and stayed dead to the world until he woke up in the morning. Sansa envied him his ability to sleep easily. She watched as he curled up on the floor and fell asleep within minutes.

Jane, too was snoozing lightly in the armchair, leaving only Arya, Gendry, Theon, and Sansa. Turning off the TV, Theon lit up his cell phone and brought it underneath his face.

"Okay, everyone shut up. I've got a ghost story that will make you pee your pants." Theon's voice was a whispery hiss, and the shadows drew grotesque shapes on his face.

Arya rolled her eyes, and Gendry laughed, nipping her ear lightly. Sansa gulped and seized Arya's hands.

"Theon, you're terrible at making up stories! Let me tell one."

"But Arya, I'm not making this one up. It's real. That's why it's so scary."

"Stop using that stupid voice! It's not scary, it's just annoying!"

"Would you zip it and let me tell the damn story?"

Arya crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine, but it's going to suck."

"You suck! Now shut up! Anyway, like I was saying, I have a ghost story, a _real_ ghost story. Because you see, a ghost lives right here in Stark manor."

"What ghost?" Sansa's voice was barely audible as she stared at him fearfully.

"The ghost of Lyanna Stark. That's right, your aunt." He nodded impressively around at all of them, a somber expression on his normally playful face. "You see, she used to live in this very house—"

"No she didn't!"

"JESUS ARYA! YES SHE DID! All her shit's still in the attic! Now, like I was _saying_—"

"—Is her stuff really up there?"

Theon shot her a murderous look, and sighed, realizing that she was never going to let him finish his story.

"Yeah. I'll show you if you don't believe me."

Arya jumped up, pulling Gendry with her. "Yeah. Show me," she challenged, hands on her hips.

"Alright, come on."

Dejectedly, Theon led them to the stairs, and they crept up them noiselessly. Sansa shrank back when they reached the attic door.

"I think I'll just wait here…"

"Oh no you don't! We're all going in there together!"

Grabbing her hand, Arya dragged her through the door. She had been up to the attic hundreds of times in her life, and she had never seen anything that was her aunt's. Skeptically, she looked around, waiting for Theon to pull whatever dumb prank he was planning.

Instead of doing something dumb, Theon led them over to a box marked "Ned" and lifted the lid. Inside were a bunch of dusty papers and old pictures of Ned and Cat in college and Ned and Cat getting married and Ned and Cat with their children.

"This is bullshit, Theon! These are just pictures of my parents!"

"Would you just calm your balls? I'm only just now getting to the good stuff!"

"How do you know what's here?"

"Jon mentioned it before. Aha! See?"

Digging to the bottom of the box, Theon pulled out a huge folder with "LS" written on the front. Clambering around him, Sansa, Gendry, and Arya watched as he flipped through its contents. The first of the pictures were fairly unexciting: they were just the same pictures of a beautiful young girl that Arya had seen all her life.

She stared sadly at the young woman smiling in her graduation cap. She had no idea that she would be dead less than a year later. Halfway through the stack, they reached pictures that Arya had never seen before.

There was one of her dad smiling and laughing with his family, and Arya stared curiously at his three siblings she had never had the chance to meet. Lyanna was easily the most vibrant in the picture. Her long, curly hair was billowing around her face, and her eyes were shining brightly even through the faded and dusty photograph. Brandon next to her was broad and handsome and wild, his shaggy head thrown back in raucous laughter. Off to the side, Benjen sat, thin and dark. He was smiling meekly at his brothers and sister, a sad expression in his eyes, almost as if he knew they would all be dead soon enough.

Arya wanted to look longer, but Theon was quick to flip to the next one. She was about to tell him to go back when her eyes fell on the next image. Her reproach stuck in her throat as she stared in shock at her aunt locked in an embrace with Robert Baratheon.

Alarmed, her eyes darted over to Gendry who was looking back at her with confusion written clearly across his face.

"Did you know that they knew each other?"

Arya shook her head.

"I had no idea! But look at them here, they're hugging, and they look like they're in love! I think they used to date."

"They did," Sansa whispered quietly. "Jamie told me that once, when Joffrey and I were…you know. But I think they did more than date. I mean, look at that ring on her finger! I think they were _engaged._"

Theon furrowed his brow and flipped to another picture. Lyanna was sitting on Robert's lap, and he was looking up at her lovingly. Her eyes, too, were filled with adoration, but they weren't resting on her fiancé.

"Who's that woman she's staring at? The one with the long, blonde hair?"

"That's not a woman, Arya. That's a man."

Arya squinted in the dark and saw that Sansa was right. It was an extremely beautiful man. He was staring back at Lyanna with an equal amount of passion.

"Who _is _that?"

Sansa shrugged and shivered.

"I don't know, but I really want to get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps, and staring at pictures of dead people isn't really helping matters."

Silently, Gendry rose and helped Sansa stand. He leaned down and offered a hand to her. She grabbed the last of the two pictures before letting him help her up. He maintained his grip on her as they walked across the attic to the door.

Sansa jumped as a floorboard squeaked, and Arya stared weirdly at her.

"Why are you so jumpy, Sans?"

"I don't know, my nerves are shot!"

Theon cackled and came up behind her, trailing his fingers across her back.

Sansa squealed and smacked him away. As Theon continued tormenting her, Arya shot a sideways glance at Gendry.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's just weird, you know? That your dad would never mention it?"

"I'm not sure…Dad doesn't like to talk about his siblings. I think they make him sad, especially his sister."

Gendry looked worried, and Arya bit her lip. She hated seeing him so uncertain. Finding out about his dad had been hard enough, but now that her family was somehow involved, things had become even more confusing. Standing on her toes, she grabbed his face and kissed him impulsively. He kissed her back and lifted her slightly. After he set her down, he patted her head and laughed slightly.

"What was that for?"

"I don't know! I love you?"

"Alright crazy," he said, rumpling her hair. "I love you too."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek and took her hand again. The four of them moved gently down the stairs, trying to stay quiet so as to not wake anyone up. Sansa was leading them, and she was slowing them down, pausing at every noise.

"Sansa! Hurry up!" Arya hissed.

"I'm sorry! Everything just looks scarier in the dark!"

"You are twenty-two years old, not two! You can suck it up and go a little faster!"

Sansa turned around and glowered at her sister.

"Arya, stop being so ru—AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sansa had collided into a giant, solid mass and let out a blood-curdling scream. Theon jumped a mile and landed on Arya's foot, leading her to curse loudly and shove him roughly. She got confused in the dark and ended up shoving Gendry instead. He stumbled against the bannister and the three of them toppled into each other, landing in a noisy heap at the base of the stairs.

They all scrambled up, and Arya looked around for her sister.

A few stairs up, Sansa was thrashing wildly, trying to get away from the shadow that she had just bumped into.

"Sansa! Calm down! Sansa!"

"Sandor?!"

Sansa stopped struggling and looked at her fiancé in wonder.

"What are you doing here?"

"I flew in early, and I thought I would surprise you."

"Well, you definitely did!"

Sansa laughed weakly and draped her arms around his neck. She kissed him happily. When they pulled apart, she nuzzled her nose against his.

"Hi." She giggled.

"Hi." He said back, kissing her again.

The lights suddenly snapped on, and all five of them looked around in surprise.

"What on earth are you guys doing?" Ned looked around at them sleepily. Cat was behind him, glaring at them.

"And these are our _adult_ children! You're supposed to be the responsible ones! Go to bed, all of you. Sandor, it's lovely to see you."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back to her room. Ned smiled tiredly at them before trailing behind his wife.

Arya, Gendry, and Theon dissolved into uncontrollable laughter, and Sansa scowled at them.

"Mom's right! You're all so immature!"

"Oh please, Sansa! You were a part of it, too!"

Theon grabbed her into a tight hug and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. She swatted him away playfully before wishing them all a goodnight. Smiling up at Sandor, she took his hand and guided him into one of the guest bedrooms.

"Look at that! Pure bliss!" Theon did a catcall, and Arya punched him in the arm.

"Shut up! You're gonna get us in trouble again!"

Theon grabbed her in a headlock and rubbed his fist into her scalp before pressing a kiss on top of her head.

"Goodnight little one! Goodnight Gendry. I'm hitting the sack!"

He saluted them and headed upstairs to his room.

Gendry tugged at her hand before kissing it.

"I think I'm going to crash on the couch so your parents don't suspect anything."

She nodded and followed him into the living room. Rickon was out cold on the floor, and Jane was still curled up in the chair. Gendry lay down on the couch and Arya sat down near his head. She stroked his hair before bringing her lips down to his.

She pulled away from him again and studied his face closely. Tucking her knees up to her chin, she tilted her head and stared at him.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"You're being weird tonight!"

"Well, at least I'm not stupid all the time like you!"

He laughed and brought his hand to caress her cheek.

She shifted so that she was lying beside him.

"You need to go to your own bed," he mumbled, bringing his arms around her.

"All right, so let me go," she chuckled.

"No." His arms circled tighter around her, and he buried his face into her back. She turned so that they were looking at each other.

They held each other gazes steadily without speaking. Smiling softly, they blinked tiredly at one another until sleep came to them both.

* * *

**The Stark siblings are so fun to have interact! I can't wait for Jon and Ygritte to get back from their honeymoon! Maybe we'll pay them a visit at The Wall!**

**Y'all are great. Thanks for reading! xxx**


	22. Chapter 22

**Oh my gosh I have hated being away from this! I had been going through some stuff in real life and was simultaneously super busy all of a sudden, but everything's calmed down and straightened out. Classes start tomorrow, (ugh) but I should be updating much more frequently despite being back at school.**

**Sorry this took so long! This one's a bit transitional and short. The next few chapters are going to be pure fun. Whoohoo!**

**As always, GRRM gets all credit for the characters and ASOIAF, and I write this for fun and not for profit.**

* * *

"Your Honor, at this time, the defense would like to make a motion to dismiss based on the insufficiency of the evidence."

The courtroom was deathly still and silent. Beads of sweat collected along Tyrion's brow, and he ran a hand over his face. He stole a sideways look at Bronn. The man was all confidence and swagger, and he looked completely unconcerned as he waited for the judge's response. With a quick glance in his direction, Bronn shot Tyrion a wink before turning away.

Trying to borrow some of his lawyer's self-assurance, Tyrion straightened up and looked around for his wife. Shae's dark eyes were waiting for his mismatched ones and met them evenly. Throughout the hell of the last month, she had been unflinching and unwavering in her support of him, and he drew strength from her that he had never been able to find in himself.

She took a deep, steadying breath, and he mirrored her. They nodded at each other before he returned his attention to the judge. He was gripping his hands together so tightly that they were shaking. Closing his eyes, he begged the powers that be for this to all be over.

* * *

"Lannister! You can't park there!"

Grimacing, Jamie looked over his shoulder at the blonde woman scowling and coming toward him. With any other woman, a flash of his smile and a few of the right words would get him out of trouble, but Brienne was different. _She had always been different_. Already, she was writing up a ticket. He grabbed her wrist to stop her, and she lurched away from his hold. Her eyebrows shot up.

"Do you really want to add assault of a police officer to your list of offences? If I had to guess, I'd say you haven't paid your other ticket yet?"

"I thought that was a joke!" Jamie laughed. "You don't really expect me to pay that?"

"I absolutely do. Especially now that you don't have the police force in your pocket anymore."

Jamie's smile faltered. He didn't know what she was talking about. The police had always been bought and paid for. Troubled, he tried to play off his concern. He had never been held accountable for anything before.

"Come on, Tarth, can't you do a favor for an old friend and make all that go away?"

"Just move your car."

"I can't. I promised my brother I'd be there for him, and I'm running late."

"That seems to be a habit of yours," she snorted. After considering what he'd said, her eyes flickered with kindness. "I forgot that your brother's preliminary hearing was today. What do you think's going to happen?"

Jamie tried to shrug nonchalantly, but Brienne wasn't fooled. She saw the worry flit through his emerald eyes, and her resolve softened ever so slightly.

"Fine. Go."

His hand landed on her shoulder, and he gave it a light squeeze.

"Thanks, Tarth. You know, you, me, the front of the courthouse: it's just like old times."

In irritation, she jerked her shoulder away from his grasp.

"Don't push it, Lannister. This is _not_ like old times."

Grinning, he loped up the stairs. When he reached the top, he whipped around to face her.

"You're right! If it was like old times, you'd be going to the Policeman's Ball with me!"

As he disappeared through the courthouse door, she stood speechless and sputtering and very red in the face.

* * *

Flashbulbs erupted and reporters shouted, clustering around the small group of people exiting the courthouse. Ned stared at the TV critically. Barely visible through the mass of cameras and microphones, Tyrion Lannister walked hand-in-hand with his wife. Both had grim, somber expressions on their faces as they climbed into their waiting car.

"What's happening?"

Turning to regard his wife, Ned repeated what the news banners were saying, uncertain of her reaction.

"Tyrion just had his preliminary hearing. The judge decided to dismiss the case against him. They don't have enough evidence on him to put him on trial for killing his father."

The thin, hard line of her mouth told him everything he needed to know about her thoughts on the judge's decision. Instead of responding to him, she turned to the stove and began cooking. With her back to him, she spoke to him in a guarded voice.

"Does that mean that man is out of our lives now?"

"What man?"

Holding hands, Sandor and Sansa appeared in the doorway. Catelyn turned to answer her oldest daughter.

"Tyrion Lannister, darling. He's not going on trial for Tywin's murder. They dropped the case against him."

"Well, good. I never thought he did it, anyway. I spent a lot of time with the Lannisters, and he was always the most decent out of all them. He never struck me as a bad guy."

Sandor snorted but didn't say anything. Catelyn's look of disapproval deepened as she turned her attention back to cooking. Sandor picked up Ned's discarded newspaper and began flipping through it while Sansa started helping her mother with breakfast.

In the next room, Gendry grunted as Arya kneed him in the stomach. She had always been a restless sleeper, and he had grown used to it, but it was a tighter fit on the couch. Lazily, he opened one eye to study her. Her tiny body was pulled into a tight ball against his chest, and her hair was a tangled mess obscuring her face. Affectionately, he nuzzled it out of the way until he found her cheek.

His light kiss roused her, and she crinkled her nose at him in slight annoyance at being woken up. She wiggled closer to him and stared intently at him. She had the same strange look in her eyes from the night before, and Gendry knew that she was worried about him and all the stuff he'd found out about his father.

Trying to ease her concern, he kissed her nose and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. The sound of Catelyn banging around pots and pans interrupted the quiet of their moment, and the smell of breakfast filtered into the room shortly after.

Arya's stomach rumbled, and she felt the vibrations of his laughter. She unfolded herself from the couch and stretched, cat-like, before standing. Rickon was still passed out on the floor, drool dripping from his partially open mouth. On her way to the kitchen, she nudged him with her foot, but he barely stirred.

The food smelled good, and it was giving Gendry motivation enough to consider getting up to eat. Rickon was finally moving, and he came to a sitting position. Slightly disoriented, he looked around and saw Gendry on the couch.

"Come on, Gendry! Breakfast!"

He chucked a pillow at him, and Gendry sat up. Tiredly, he rubbed his eyes before following the younger boy into the kitchen.

Arya was sitting cross-legged on a chair at the kitchen table, and she had enough eggs in front of her for about ten people. He grabbed a fork and plopped down next to her. He helped himself off of her plate, suddenly starving. While they shoveled food down hungrily, Jane sat across from them, eating primly. She flushed pink when Theon walked in in his boxers and gave her a playful grin.

Sliding a plate in front of Sandor, Sansa kissed him on the cheek and settled into a chair next to him. She started flipping through a nearby bridal magazine, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Arya, Rickon, hurry up and eat. You have to be ready for school soon!"

"I don't want to go to school today, mom."

"Please don't be difficult, Arya," Catelyn sighed. "You can't keep missing school like this. Your father and I have been very lenient with you, but we need to get practical. I didn't want to put pressure on you, but late deadlines for college applications are in May. I really hope college is still part of your plan."

"Of course it is."

"Then you really need to get started on the application process!"

"No I don't."

"Arya—"

"—I don't need to apply because I already got in."

Ned and Gendry sputtered on their coffee at the exact same moment and turned to look at her in awe, the same question on their lips.

"I'm going to Winterfell U."

Gendry whooped and grabbed her up, spinning her around. Sansa squealed and the rest of the family laughed. Ned told everyone to plan on a celebratory family dinner that night.

"So does that mean I don't have to go to school today?"

Exasperated, Cat threw her hands up in the air.

"Oh, fine! You can stay home."

Everyone else finished their breakfasts and got ready for school and work. Gendry was the last to leave, giving her a final kiss goodbye and a squeeze on the hand. Catelyn ran out to do errands, and Arya clomped up the stairs to Bran's bedroom.

From the looks of him, he had just woken up, and Arya rumpled his hair.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Why are you only just now getting up?"

"I don't have class til eleven. What are _you_ doing home?"

"I got into college, so mom let me skip school today."

"Because that makes sense," Bran laughed. "So what do you want from me?"

Wordlessly, she handed him the pictures they'd found last night. Bran flipped through the pictures blandly, and Arya wondered at his lack of surprise. After handing them back to her, he raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Okay, what am I supposed to do with those?"

"Don't you think that's weird about Aunt Lyanna and Robert?"

"I guess. But weirder things have happened. I'm more surprised that Rhaegar Targaryen is there. Dad told me once that Robert hated him."

"Who are you talking about?"

"That blonde man in the last picture."

Seizing it, Arya studied the man closely.

"Why did Robert hate him?"

"They had a complicated history. The Targaryens used to own the company that became Fury Enterprises. It changed hands right around the time Lyanna died."

"_Targaryen_. I think I remember that name connected with her death. Was he somehow involved in that?"

"They investigated him, but no one really knows what happened with all of that."

Puzzled, Arya left Brans room and returned to her own. Biting her lip in curiosity, she pulled out her computer and started typing furiously.

* * *

**Looks like Brienne and Jamie have some history...hmmmmmm**

**The first half of the first chapter of the prequel for this is written, so I guess this is a thing that is happening! hahaha Also, I have plans in the works for like a twenty/twenty-five chapter story about Jamie and Brienne and their back story. Maybe. I don't know! I have too much I want to write about!**

**Anyways, I don't plan on leaving this unattended for a while again, so the next chapter should be up soon!**

**Thanks for being patient, y'all, and thanks for reading! xxx**


	23. Chapter 23

**Yay! I'm back on track with writing! School is slow now because I just started, and hopefully, the workload will stay manageable so I can keep up with this.**

**GRRM gets all credit for all characters and for ASOIAF. I don't write for profit!**

* * *

Arya walked down the hallway, her footfalls muffled by the carpet. As she passed Jon's office, she glanced in despite knowing that he was still gone on his honeymoon. He had pictures of the family all over his desk, and she laughed when she spotted the one from their vacation a while back. Ygritte had buried Jon in the sand while he was sleeping, and Arya had taken the picture right when he'd woken up. He was pretending to glare at the camera while Ygritte grinned beside him.

Smiling, she continued walking past. She missed Jon and Ygritte. Even when they were home, she didn't get to see them that much. She couldn't wait for them to get back. _They would all do something fun together_, she decided.

Gendry's office was at the end of the hall, and she could see him through his open door. He was sitting at his desk, studying his computer screen with a look of concentration. Her heart surged with affection as her eyes fell on the familiar crease between his slightly narrowed eyes. Sometimes, she forgot how handsome he really was. With his strong jaw, high cheekbones, and deep blue eyes, it was easy to understand why girls always took notice of him. She wondered how much of those looks he owed to his father.

Leaning against the doorframe, she crossed her arms and watched him. It didn't take long for him to sense her presence, and he glanced up with a smile after he finished typing an email.

"Hey!"

"Hey, I came to take you to lunch."

"Which means I'm paying, right?" Laughing, he rose and kissed her between the eyebrows.

"Duh! Now come on!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him out the door.

As he drove, he stole a look in her direction. Slouched against the car window with her knees pulled up to her chest, she was fiddling with her necklace restlessly. Catching sight of what it was, he smiled and reached out and grabbed her hand.

"You still have the locket!"

"Of course I do! What'd you think? That I threw it away?"

"Well, with you, you never know, and you were pretty angry when we broke up the last time. Not to mention, you claimed to hate it when I gave it to you."

"I don't hate everything I say I do."

"I figured that out a long time ago. Remember how many times you said you hated me?"

She only chuckled in response as they pulled up in front of their favorite restaurant. He scrambled out of the car and hurried around to open her door for her, but she had already opened it and let herself out. Rolling his eyes affectionately, he followed her through the door.

They slid into a booth and put aside their menus, already knowing what they wanted.

"So…Winterfell University, huh? I guess you won't be going far in the fall."

Arya crinkled her nose.

"Don't think I did it because of you! I applied all over. It was just a coincidence that the one I liked best was right next to you!"

"Whatever you say."

Gendry grinned at her wickedly. She leaned across and kissed him quickly before sitting back. A shadow fell over her face as she stared at him. Crossing her arms, she looked out the window distractedly. Arya started nibbling on her pinky, and Gendry reached out to stop her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Why would you ask me that?"

"You're biting your nails. That's your tell. You're worried about something."

He massaged her palm and gave her pleading eyes.

"Please tell me. Why are you upset?"

Her sigh was heavy and deepened his concern.

"I think the better question is why _aren't _you upset? With everything that's happened, I can't help but wonder how you're taking this so well."

"Who says I'm taking this well? Arya, I'm freaking out. I just found out that I own a multibillion dollar company, that I am a member of one of the most powerful families in the world, and that my best friend might be my half-brother."

"Jon?"

"Yes, if Robert was Jon's father, then he and I are related, too."

"That's the other thing. I don't think Robert was his father. The Baratheon genes are strong. I mean, look at you. You have almost all of his features. Jon doesn't look a thing like you. He has all Stark features. The Targaryen genes, on the other hand, are recessive."

"What are you talking about?"

"The blonde hair, the violet eyes. If Rhaegar Targaryen was Jon's father, then that would explain why Jon got all of the Stark traits."

"Who is Rhaegar Targaryen?"

"He's this guy our parents knew when they were young. Robert hated him, but I think he and Lyanna were lovers. His whole family is crazy. His younger brother thinks he's a dragon or something. They put him in an insane asylum, and his sister has been missing for years. They used to own Fury before it became Fury. I've been reading about them all morning."

Burying his head in his hands, Gendry groaned.

"Why is everything so complicated and dramatic and confusing? I'm almost positive that normal people don't go out to lunch with their girlfriends and discuss genetics and paternity and the future of multinational corporations."

"Well, normal people aren't as awesome as we are."

Getting up, she crossed over to his side of the booth and wiggled into the seat next to him. She tugged his arm around her and nestled into his side. She felt the rumble of his laughter as he pressed a kiss on top of her head.

Her grey eyes peeked up at him, and the constriction in his chest loosened as his grip on her tightened.

"We're going into this together, okay?"

Gendry nodded.

"And we're coming out of this together, too."

* * *

"Sansa?" Opening the front door, Sandor looked around for his pretty fiancé. He plodded across the carpet to his room. The door was open a crack, and through it, he could see Sansa's red hair spilled across the pillow. He walked in and sat down on the bed next to her sleeping form. Naturally, she turned toward his warmth, her arm falling across his leg.

Brushing her hair away, he studied her face and ran his fingers through the auburn strands. His hand came to caress her cheek, and a smile formed on her face at his touch. Her grip on his leg tightened slightly, the diamond on her finger glinting in the fading sunlight that filtered through the window.

Dropping a light kiss on her forehead, he stroked her back, thinking how lucky he was that the woman lying beside him loved him and wanted to marry him. She sighed lightly in her sleep, and Sandor felt a swell of tenderness for her. Her soft, translucent skin looked so fragile, and he felt a desperate need to protect her from the world. And now that Joffrey was back in her life, he only worried about her more.

He scooped her up and cradled her into his chest, needing to reassure himself that she was safe and whole in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open, and her arms snaked around his neck. Her light kisses peppered his neck, up to his jaw, and across his cheek. Their lips met, and after they broke apart, her forehead came to rest against his.

"Did you have a good nap?" He asked, amused as he stroked the pillow lines on her face.

Her laughter tinkled in the space between them, and she rubbed her eyes blearily.

"I slept hard, so I must have! I've been so tired lately; I guess I needed the rest."

His eyes tightened in concern.

"Are you okay? Did the kids give you a hard time at work today?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little stressed, you know? Plus, you did keep me up pretty late last night," she said, giggling and blushing slightly.

"Well, I missed you," he growled suggestively, pulling at the waistband of her skirt.

She laughed and pushed his hand away.

"I missed you too! Don't leave me ever again, okay? At least not for such a long time. Promise?"

"Promise."

"Good." She smiled prettily at him, her dimples showing.

"How were your meetings and everything?"

"They went okay."

"Why did you go to The Wall? Did you see Jon?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. You know I've never been much good at running the company, and Jon hasn't been liking work lately. I think he's ready for a change, and he's a natural leader, so I spoke to the shareholders, and we decided to bring him on to run the company. I'm still the owner, but he would be responsible for the day-to-day logistics. They wanted to act quickly, so I flew out to offer him the job and have him sign the contracts. He's just got to give notice at his old job, and soon, he'll be working for me."

"Sandor, that's amazing! Jon must be so happy. I'm sure Gendry will miss him, but this is good for him."

She hugged him tightly and leaned in and gave him a kiss. He deepened it, pulling her closer to him. He started pulling at the hem of her shirt. Breaking away from him, she giggled and brushed him off.

"Stop," she laughed. "We have to get ready for dinner with my family tonight!"

Sandor groaned.

"Alright, but we're finishing this when we get home!"

"Deal," she said, giving him a final kiss before going to change.

* * *

"So guess what's coming up?"

"Your birthday," Gendry replied automatically.

Arya beamed at him. Even with all the talk about Sansa's engagement party and all the focus on her wedding, Gendry still always thought of her first and knew her well enough to guess what she was thinking.

Sansa's head snapped up to look at her.

"Oh, Arya, I almost forgot! I'm so sorry. I feel so selfish."

Arya waved her off. "Don't worry about it, Sans. You've been dealing with so much lately."

"What are you guys talking about?" Theon shouted down the table.

"My birthday!" Arya shouted back. It was hard to hear in the restaurant and especially hard to have conversations when their group was as big as theirs was.

"What do you want to do for your birthday, love?"

"Well," Arya stretched out the word as she answered Gendry, "I was thinking that we could all do a road trip."

"Who's 'we'?" Sansa cut in.

"Me and Gendry, obviously. And you and Sandor. And Jon, Ygritte and Theon."

"Sweet, I'm in!" Theon yelled, leaning over to them.

"Me too," Gendry said, knocking his shoulder against hers.

"Alright, well, where you thinking about going?"

Arya bit back a smile, knowing her sister wasn't going to like the answer.

"There's this awesome haunted hotel in Qarth I was reading about. They nicknamed it The House of the Undying. I was thinking we could all go and stay there."

"Awesome!" Theon whooped.

Sansa crinkled her nose.

"Arya, that sounds awful. But it's your birthday, so I guess I'm going. Your birthday is in about a month, and that's when school gets out, so that should be perfect."

"Perfect." Arya grinned.

* * *

**I didn't realize it until I read your reviews, but there is a surprising lack of SanSan for a fic that is supposedly all about their wedding. I love them as a couple, and I am going to include them more from now on, I promise! There are a lot of characters, and it's easy to lose track of them, so I'll try to do better!**

**Thanks for reading, y'all! You're the best! xxx**


	24. Chapter 24

**This week has been crazy! In between school and work, I have barely had time to breathe! We went on a trip for Labor Day, and during the car ride, I got a lot of writing done. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to internet, so I was distressingly absent. But I'm back, and happy to be so!**

**As always, GRRM gets all credit for characters and for ASOIAF. I write for fun and not for profit!**

* * *

Arya's head bobbed excitedly beside him as she talked enthusiastically with Sansa and traded joking barbs with Theon. Fruitlessly, she tried to drag him into the conversation, shooting him encouraging smiles and asking him questions. He would answer in a distant, distracted way, anxiety weighing heavy on his mind and pulling his thoughts and attention far away.

Even with all of the happiness surrounding him, Gendry couldn't fight off the niggling thoughts in the back of his head. Worry had a way of looming over him, and though it would sometimes dissipate, its clouds would always descend again.

Laughter erupted around him as Arya and Theon started planning her birthday trip, but Gendry couldn't take part in it. Thinking about the future meant thinking about all of the responsibility that had been foisted upon him and that had claimed him, and all he could feel was the pressure of all the decisions he had to make.

Feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed, he pressed a kiss against Arya's cheek and stood. Looking around, Arya gazed up at him, capturing his hand with hers, questioning concern in her eyes. With a reassuring smile, he squeezed her hand and moved away from the table and headed to the bar.

Just as he'd flagged down the bartender, Sandor came up beside him. Neither man said anything until their drinks had arrived. Both drank deeply before Sandor's gruff, rumbling voice broke the silence between them.

"So, you're a Baratheon now."

"I guess so."

Gendry replied warily, well aware of Sandor's feelings towards certain relatives of his. Deep gray eyes studied him intensely. Uncomfortably, Gendry shot a look at him again. Sometimes, Gendry found himself wondering what was going through the hulking man's mind. Not always the most talkative or friendly person in the room, Sandor rarely laughed or even smiled except when he was in Sansa's company. He hated to admit it, but there were times when Gendry felt intimidated by the older man.

"A lot of bad blood runs through that family."

Gendry balked, uncertain if that was an insult or a warning.

"A lot of bad blood runs through my family, too," Sandor continued before he could respond.

"The Clegane legacy is not an honorable one or a good one. And for most of my life, I never thought I was good enough to rise above that reputation. Then, I met Sansa. Now, she's going to become a Clegane, and our children will be, too. The family I'm building is nothing like the family I came from, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. I owe it all to her. So look at the family you're building. I'm guessing Arya is a big part of that?"

"Arya is all of it."

"Good," Sandor nodded. "Then she's going to be a Baratheon, too."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." Running his hand over his face, Gendry heaved a heavy sigh. "Truth be told, I have tried not to think about all of this. It's kind of staggering."

"It's only a name. You and Arya are bigger than a name. How is she taking this, by the way?"

"She's worried, of course. And extremely defensive. She keeps talking about my safety."

"Anyone who gets in the Lannisters' way ends up dead."

"That's what she keeps saying. But I'm not so much worried about myself as I am about her. I don't want to drag her into this mess. I just want to protect her."

"I can understand that," Sandor responded, looking over at Sansa.

"At least Sansa wants you to take care of her. Arya's so damn stubborn; she doesn't like to depend on anyone."

Sandor laughed at that.

"She is an ornery and resilient little thing, but I think she needs you more than she'd cared to admit."

"Well, I'm always going to be here."

"I hope you don't mean that literally," Arya said, appearing beside him and smiling wryly at him, "because you're going to have to leave this bar eventually."

Gendry laughed and slung an arm around her shoulder. Dinner being finished, the rest of the family walked up to join them. They were loud and unruly and full of chatter and laughter. With his arm draped casually around Arya's shoulder, Gendry realized that he had never felt more of a sense of belonging than when he was with the Starks. Despite what blood tests would say and despite his newfound lineage, the people standing around him were his real family. His heart swelled at the thought. Arya would always be his, and he would always be hers.

Catelyn smiled tiredly at them while herding her younger children out the door.

"I think we're headed home. Rickon and Bran have school in the morning, and so do you, Arya. You don't get to skip two days in a row."

Arya rolled her eyes at her mom but nodded without argument. They all walked to the parking lot together, and she kissed Gendry before getting into the family car with her parents and brothers. Gendry sped off for his apartment, and she regretted that she couldn't go with him. Sandor and Sansa waved to them as they walked hand-in-in hand to Sandor's car.

Ned watched approvingly as Sandor opened the door for her and helped her settle before getting into the car himself and driving off. Arya watched his car disappear, jealous that they got to go home together.

* * *

Sansa sat in the passenger seat, staring at the silhouette of Sandor's face. Its good side was in view, and she studied his high cheekbones and dark eyes. He was so fearsome to her when she first met him. Now, she trusted him implicitly. He was the man she would wake up beside for the rest of her life. The intensity of her gaze drew his attention, and he turned to stare at her quizzically. She blushed and laughed at her entrancement with her own fiancé before remembering that she needed to talk to him about something.

"So I was talking to my mom about the wedding today, and I realized that we still haven't set a date."

She twirled her engagement ring fretfully, thinking about all the things she needed to get done.

"Well, I would say let's go get married tomorrow, but I happen to know you've been planning your wedding since you were five, and it doesn't involve a courthouse. You should have everything you want, and an elaborate wedding like that takes time to plan."

Smiling to herself, she again thought about how lucky she was to have Sandor.

"Well, I was thinking that a winter wedding would be lovely. Say, January?"

He nodded as he turned into his apartment's parking garage.

"Is that really okay? I want you to have input, too. Please tell me what you honestly think."

Frowning slightly, he pulled into his parking space and looked over at her.

"Sansa, sweetheart, the only thing about this wedding that I am really adamant about is that at the end of it, I'm married to you. That, and I want you to be completely happy and have your every wish fulfilled. So, please, don't worry about me. You can have whatever flowers, cake, dress, and date you choose. There is no budget, and there is no limit. And if you're worried about me getting what I want, don't. I get you, love, and that's all I need."

His words were spoken gruffly, but their meaning was sweet, and Sansa felt her heart swell with gratitude and love. He turned off the car and unbuckled his seatbelt, and she did the same. Before he could get out of the car, she threw her arms around his neck and brought her lips crashing into his.

Gently, he lifted her onto his lap. With some difficulty, she brought her legs to wrap around him. They struggled in the tight space, shifting their bodies awkwardly. Her grip tightened on his face as she ground her hips against him. He thrust back eagerly, pressing her against the steering wheel. Ignoring the discomfort of being pushed against it, she kissed him with more desperation. She needed him more than she needed to be comfortable.

His hand slid up her shirt to unhook her bra, and she moaned in pleasure as his rough hand brushed against her smooth skin. He plastered kisses all over her face and neck, and she tipped her head back to allow him easier access.

With one arm, he raised her off of his lap so that he could slide his pants off with the other. She tried to help him as best as she could, but their bodies were wedged tightly together, and she was having trouble reaching down to him. Instead, she contented herself with removing his shirt. Her fingers fumbled eagerly over the buttons, and she was quick to drop hungry kisses all over his exposed skin.

Distracted and agitated by her busy lips and hands, Sandor fought more urgently with his pants, trying to rip them off. The heat they were generating was unbearable, and Sansa was so tempting. In his haste, his arm jerked back and collided with the gear shift. A stream of curses flowed out. Her laughter was swallowed up in another forceful kiss, and with his fingers tangled in her hair and her arms wrapped around his waist, they drew each other closer and held each other tighter.

Their need was agonizing, and with her skirt pushed up around her waist, he dragged down her underwear with excruciating slowness. Finally wrestled free of his jeans, he let out a guttural groan and pushed into her, eliciting whimpers and pleasurable cries from her.

Her fingernails dug into his strong biceps, leaving marks. As she felt Sandor move beneath her, Sansa let go of all the troubles that had been plaguing her and just let herself be lost in the moment with the man she loved.

Some time later, they tumbled out of his car and tried to straighten their clothes and sort themselves out. Sandor grabbed her hand and kissed it. He didn't let go of it as they continued walking toward the elevator. When he glanced over at her, he was struck, just as he was every day, by how beautiful she really was.

Her auburn hair fell in loose curls around her thin face, and a faint pink blush rose up her neck and crept across her cheeks. She was giggling prettily behind her hand, and he smiled confusedly at her.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that Arya might be right about cars."

He didn't know what she meant, but she dissolved into fresh giggles before he could ask her about it. Shaking his head, he let it got and dropped a kiss on top of her head. They rode the elevator to his floor in contented silence and walked down the hall to his door, still holding hands. There was a figure standing there, and they squinted to see who it was.

With a sharp intake of breath, Sansa realized that it was Margaery who was pacing restlessly outside Sandor's door. She clenched his hand tightly, and he stepped protectively in front of her. Hearing them approach, Margaery whipped around to meet them, her large, brown eyes full of trepidation. Upon seeing Sandor's glower, she shrunk back, looking even more uncertain.

Regarding her coldly, Sandor unlocked the door and attempted to pull Sansa inside. Unwilling to turn her back on her friend completely, Sansa balked, her blue eyes kind if not a little cautious.

Taking Sansa's hesitation for encouragement, Margaery cleared her throat and spoke softly.

"Sansa, I—I have to tell you something. But based on your behavior, I think you already know."

Both Sandor and Sansa's face were impassive, and Margaery swallowed uncertainly.

"Can I come in and explain?"

Sansa nodded stiffly, and Margaery followed her through the door, edging past Sandor's menacing form. Sansa settled on the couch and affixed her friend with a questioning stare. Margaery tentatively joined her. Fiddling with her hands, she struggled to find the words, not sure of how to begin. Her eyes slid uncomfortably over to Sandor who was watching her with narrowed eyes.

Tucking her legs underneath her, Sansa gave him a small reassuring smile.

"Sandor, it's okay. Just give me a minute, alright?"

He nodded and disappeared down the hallway to give them time to talk alone.

"So what did you want to say to me?"

Margaery had never heard Sansa's voice take on such an unforgiving tone, and it unnerved her slightly.

"You know that I'm dating Joffrey."

"Yes."

"And you're angry with me?"

"I think 'disappointed' is a better word for it. Margaery, how could you? You saw what I went through with him. You know what he's like. And now you've welcomed him into your life and dragged him back into mine. Why would you put yourself through that? Why would you put _me_ through that? You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"Sansa, please! You don't understand. You don't know how it is…"

"Then explain it to me!"

"I can't. It's complicated. This marriage is expected of me, and—"

"Marriage?!"

Her eyes shot down to Margaery's finger. Sure enough, a huge diamond glinted there. Sansa's stomach turned over with nausea.

"Sansa, I'm sorry, but I have to do this. You don't know my family. Their expectations are more like demands, and I can't disappoint them."

"You can't marry Joffrey, though! He's a monster."

"I know what I'm doing. Please, can you just trust me?"

"I don't know if I can. I feel like I don't even know who you are anymore."

"I'm still the same person. And I love you. That hasn't changed, and that never will. I'm still your best friend."

Sansa stood, and Margaery rose, too, sliding her engagement ring on and off of her finger. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms around her friend in an awkward hug. Sansa delicately returned it before pushing her lightly away. Wordlessly, she led her to the door and let her out. As she prepared to go, Margaery turned one last time to look at her sadly.

"You don't know the whole story. I have a plan, Sansa. I promise."

* * *

The door clicked shut in her face. After staring at it for a few minutes, Margaery sighed and headed back downstairs. Back in the darkness of night, she walked down the street feeling lost and distressed. A black car pulled up alongside her. The window rolled down, revealing Joffrey's Uncle Jamie.

He got out of the car and left it idling, coming toward her with a glib smile on his face.

"Joffrey sent me to find you. He told me that he doesn't like when he misplaces his possessions."

Margaery grimaced but said nothing.

"You know, your fiancé's a real piece of work."

Again, she didn't respond. Silence was her best ally in situations like this, especially because she wasn't sure whose side Jamie was on. Shouldering past him, she walked on, unsure of her direction. She only knew that she wanted to get away from the Lannisters for a while.

He chased after her and fell into step beside her.

"Don't you have better things to do than run errands for your nephew?"

"In fact, I do not. If I don't do what he wants, I have to put up with him and his mother bitching at me. You'll save yourself a lot of grief in the long run if you just learn to indulge them. You should keep that in mind for when you're married to him."

She bit back further insults, feeling her hatred for him multiply. Red and blue lights flashed suddenly behind them, and she heard Jamie groan and curse.

They turned back to see the police pulled up alongside Jamie's still-running car. A tall woman was leaning against the hood, and she could sense her disapproval before they even got close to her.

"Of course it's you, Lannister. You can't sit or park here!"

"We really need to stop meeting like this, Tarth. If you really want to see me so badly, you should stop stalking me and just go to dinner with me."

"I'm not the one constantly breaking the law! You keep this up, and you're not going to see anything but the inside of a jail cell for a long time."

"Alright, alright! We're going!"

Jamie wrenched open the passenger door and manhandled her inside. In the dim streetlights, Margaery could see the concern on the woman's face.

"Do you know this man, miss?"

Begrudgingly, Margaery nodded, her unwillingness evident on her face.

"Do you _want_ to go with him?"

"Yes, yes, yes she does. Thank you, officer, I think I can handle it from here."

Before she could retort, Jamie hopped in the front seat and shifted the car into drive. As they sped off, he shot a lopsided smile in Margaery's direction.

"Ugh," he rolled his eyes, "ex-girlfriends. Am I right?"

* * *

**I had to scrap my first chapter for the prequel because it wasn't working out the way I wanted. I then spent several hours creating a timeline of events so I can have it accurately line up with this story. That timeline burned me out a little bit on writing the prequel, but I will get back into it, and then I will be able to post the dang thing already!**

**A note: (I'm posting this on all my stories, so I feel redundant, but I need to say it) ****I looooove reading smut. Like seriously. But, I can't write smut. Believe me, I've tried. There are several failed attempts saved on my computer, but it all reads awkwardly and awfully, and it just seems to be something I cannot do. I guess what I'm saying is don't expect something too explicit. Hopefully, in the future that will change, but for now, it's staying pretty PG-13. As with all things, practice makes perfect, so I will keep trying til I overcome!**

**Thanks for reading/following/reviewing/just sticking with me! You da best! Until next time! xxx**


	25. Chapter 25

**I have a lot of disappointment in myself right now. Why has it taken me so long to update?! Because I'm lazy and get distracted easily. Hopefully, I won't wander away again. This is the beginning of the engagement party. It's a short setup. The next chapter is super long and focuses on the bulk of the party.**

**Heads up, there is a jaw-droppingly long note at the end of this chapter. If that annoys you, pretend it doesn't exist. It explains the second reason why I have to be disappointed in myself. **

**GRRM gets all credit for characters and ASOIAF. I don't write for profit!**

* * *

"Do you know how to tie a bow tie?" Jon struggled with the fabric around his neck, a grimace on his face.

Ygritte snorted as she struggled with the zipper on her dress.

"I'm much better at taking clothes _off _than putting them on."

With a laugh, Jon crossed over to her and helped her finish zipping up. She wiggled slightly, wishing he had pulled it in the opposite direction. Turning around to face him, she grabbed the ends of his tie, pulling him closer. They both grinned goofily at each other, still relishing the feeling of being newlyweds.

"Hi, Mrs. Stark," he whispered, running his thumb over her bottom lip.

"Hi, Jon Snow," she laughed back, standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck.

They leaned in, and their lips met eagerly. As he kissed her, he lifted her up and twirled her around. Laughter swirled with their movements, and as he set her back down, they stayed connected, giving each other short, quick kisses that they couldn't seem to stop.

A knock sounded at the door, and Gendry burst in. He too was in a tuxedo, and his bow tie was similarly undone around his neck. Looking slightly harassed, he started digging through Jon's drawers.

"Um, we were kind of in the middle of something," Jon glared at him, looking pointedly at Ygritte.

"Sorry. I need black socks. Also, we were supposed to leave twenty minutes ago. In other words, stop making out and get in the car."

Jon groaned and turned his attention back to Ygritte, trying to ignore his untimely roommate. Just as they had gotten back to where they'd left off, a pair of socks bounced off of his head.

"Come on you two. Knock it off! We really need to go."

"We really need to move," Jon muttered to Ygritte.

Giggling, she grabbed him by the hand and led him to the door. Gendry followed behind a few minutes later after shoving on Jon's socks and his shoes. Ygritte tottered to the car, unsteady in the stilettos that she had foolishly decided to wear. Jon grabbed her under the elbow and guided her into the passenger seat of the car.

As soon as Jon turned on the car, Ygritte changed the station and turned the volume way up. With a frown, Jon reached over and turned it down again. Smacking his hand out of the way, she put it back where it was, prompting Jon's eyebrows to crinkle in annoyance.

"You are too high-strung."

"And you are too laid-back. Put your seatbelt on."

"It's like a five minute drive to the house. We'll be fine."

"It's more like a twenty minute drive. Just put it on."

Unconcernedly, she waved her hand at him, dismissing what he'd said.

"You worry too much."

Grumbling to himself, Jon gripped the steering wheel tighter. Gendry laughed, and Jon glared at him in the rearview mirror.

"Sorry. It's just hysterical how you two go from newlyweds to old-married-couple in no time flat. The way you two bicker…you guys are almost worse than me and Arya!"

"We do not bicker like an old married couple!"

"Yes, we do."

"Oh, shut up, Jon Snow."

Gendry didn't need to point out that they were just proving him right. His sniggers and Jon's scowl were proof enough, and the three of them sat in slightly awkward silence for the rest of the drive. As they pulled up in front of the Stark house, Gendry leapt out and went to ring the front doorbell. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Ygritte poking Jon in the cheek as he tried to ignore her and bite back a smile. He grabbed her hand to make her stop, but instead of swatting her away, he pulled her closer, and suddenly, they were making out again.

With a grin, Gendry turned back to the heavy door in front of him just in time to see it swing open. Catelyn smiled at him, holding the door in one hand and putting in an earring with the other. She was wearing a floor-length emerald gown and an extremely expensive diamond necklace. Looking at her, he was struck by how similar she and Sansa looked.

With a swift kiss to his cheek, she ushered him inside, saying something about them all running late.

"The Starks are forever running late," he grinned at her.

"That's true," she nodded, looking somewhat harried. "And none of us more so than Arya. I swear, that child is never on time for anything."

"I'll have you know, I was the first one ready," she declared as she stomped down the stairs.

Despite her grumpy expression, she looked absolutely beautiful. She was wearing a simple black dress with a low neckline and a tight cut and extremely high heels. Her hair was curled and piled on top of her head in a complicated and intricate bun that he was sure Catelyn had a hand in, and she was even wearing makeup. All of this was no doubt the reason why she looked so disgruntled, but he couldn't say that it didn't look well on her.

In fact, he was feeling kind of breathless. Until she punched him. Then, he was feeling breathless for a different reason. Massaging his ribs, he gave her a slight nudge.

"What was that for?!"

"I don't know. For having that stupid expression on your face!"

"Arya, that wasn't very ladylike."

She looked unconcerned in the face of her mother's admonishment, and she merely shrugged.

"I've never been much of a lady, mom."

"Well, that is terribly disappointing to hear," Ned said, walking into the room with a twinkle in his eye. Nodding at Gendry, he gestured down to his own bow tie, which was in a strange sort of mangled knot.

"These things are impossible. I see you were smarter than me and didn't even try to tie it."

Arya and Gendry laughed, but Catelyn charged at him, an exasperated noise coming out as she attacked the tangle at her husband's throat. As she forced it into a perfect bow, she shot a panicked eye to the clock. Releasing Ned from her hold, she hurried partly up the stairs.

"Rickon, get down here NOW!"

There was a thumping noise from upstairs, and Gendry had a feeling that the boy probably wasn't even dressed yet. Catelyn seemed to be thinking the same thing because as she seized Gendry's bowtie, she told the two of them that they should probably head over without them.

"Sansa's probably not even there yet, though."

"Well, most of the guests are probably getting there, and someone should be there to represent our family."

"Alright, alright," Arya consented after hearing the dangerous tone of her mother's voice.

"We'll head over there now. Where's Bran, anyway?"

"The Reeds are taking him over. He's been practically living at their house these days."

Before Arya could reply, her mother shooed her and Gendry out the door, muttering something about wasting time. Rolling her eyes at her crazy family, she wondered why they even tried to act like there was a possibility of them getting _anywhere_ on time.

Jon and Ygritte were still making out in the front seat, and they only broke apart when Arya very loudly and obviously opened the back door. She was too happy to see them to make fun of them, though, and she flung her arms around both of them, grinning in spite of herself.

Jon ruffled her hair before putting the car in drive and pulling out of their very long driveway. The drive to the country club wasn't a long one, and they passed it easily, chatting companionably about Jon and Ygritte's trip and what everyone had done while they had been away. From what Arya could gather, they hadn't seen much outside of the hotel room. This thought disturbed her somewhat, and she tried to push it away.

None of them mentioned what they'd learned about Lyanna. That was a conversation for a less festive time.

They pulled up in front of the country club, and both men helped both of their girls out of the car. As they entered the main banquet hall, even Arya was impressed. Everything was gold and white and perfect. There were clusters of tables at one end of the room with white tablecloths and white orchid centerpieces. The gold silverware gleamed in the light of the crystal chandeliers overhead. Waiters moved in between beautifully outfitted guests, passing around champagne and hor d'oeuvres.

At the other end of the room were a dance floor and a stage where a full orchestra was playing soft music. Arya hoped that there would be slightly more exciting music later on. Jon and Ygritte, spotting some friends from college, immediately moved in that direction to say hello.

Gendry and Arya weren't left alone for long, however. No sooner had they stepped through the door than they heard Gendry's name being shouted in a jovial voice.

They turned to see Renly coming at them, arm-in-arm with Loras. Both men were immaculately dressed, and they were both grinning at Gendry with wide smiles that showcased their perfectly straight, extremely white teeth. Pumping his hand up and down vigorously, he slapped Gendry on the back of the shoulder, acting as though they had known each other for years instead of a few short weeks.

"Gendry! How have you been? It's been ages! You really need to learn how to pick up the phone every now and then!"

Gendry smiled abashedly. He hadn't been avoiding his uncles, exactly. He had just been a little more wary of them, knowing that Arya was still edgy around them. Before he had a chance to reply, Renly was already onto the next subject, motioning to the beautiful man beside him.

"Have you met my husband? This is Loras. He's Margaery's brother!" Renly gushed, clearly smitten.

Smiley kindly, Loras offered a hand that Gendry shook gingerly. Arya had informed him that Margaery was their new enemy, and he wasn't sure if he was allowed to be shaking hands with her brother. Arya looked indifferent, however, and she was already scanning the room, looking for someone else to talk to.

Gendry and the two men awkwardly made small talk, and Arya stood morosely at his side.

"Hey," she blurted suddenly, "what's Brienne Tarth doing here?"

They all turned to look at the tall woman who was standing awkwardly at the edge of the room, pulling at a dress that didn't quite look right on her. It wasn't that it was ill-fitting, and it wasn't even that the grey color looked unseemly; there was just something about her that looked _wrong_ in a dress.

"Oooooooh," Renly hummed. "I don't know. I think she might be an old friend of your mother's. She used to be in love with me, you know!"

"Who, my mother?"

"No! Brienne!"

"Stop lying. She was not in love with you. She dated Jaime Lannister for years! She never even looked twice at you."

Renly rolled his eyes at his husband but didn't argue further. This information struck Arya as odd. An unsettling pattern seemed to be emerging lately that all of these seemingly unimportant acquaintances were all old friends of her parents. Sansa told her once that all families had secrets, especially the old and wealthy ones, but she had never imagined that they would have so many mysteries, as well.

Almost as though summoned by her musings, her parents and Rickon finally arrived. Rickon scampered over to Shireen. She was standing uncomfortably in between her father—looking rigid as ever—and Melisandre who was wearing a red dress with a neckline cut down to her navel.

Ned and Catelyn began walking around the room, greeting all of their guests and playing the proper hosts. Arya tried to subtly pull Gendry away, and with a final wave to his uncle, he followed her over to a table where Bran and Meera were sitting. Meera's weird brother, Jojen was also sitting at the table, and he was creepily staring at her brother. Arya wondered what his deal was.

She flicked her brother's ear in greeting, and he shot her an annoyed look before continuing whatever conversation he'd been having before they arrived. Arya only half-listened as they argued about some weird debate they'd been having about spirit animals and magic in real life. She rolled her eyes. _Sometimes her brother was so weird._

Gendry took her hand and brought it to his lips, absentmindedly kissing each knuckle. A flash of yellow moved in the corner of her vision, and she turned, a suspicious feeling taking over her.

Her eyes narrowed as they landed on Margaery Tyrell, hovering by the door.

* * *

**I have made a terrible, soul-crushing discovery. **

**First, a story:**

**I used to have a boss named Jamie (I now have a manager named Jamie, but that's irrelevant). My job was to make schedules and transcribe meetings, write memos…blah blah blah. I would always spell his name 'Jaime' because ASOIAF was obviously always on my mind always (as should be true for everyone forever). Anyway, this was clearly a problem, so I changed my settings so that it would automatically change 'Jaime' to 'Jamie' because why would I ever need to use the other spelling, anyway? Clearly, I didn't foresee my future foray into fanfiction…**

**So, my happy little self starts writing my stories, and it's going pretty well. Then, one night, when I was working on one of my other fics, I noticed Jaime's name looked a little weird. All of sudden, I remembered what I had done all those moons ago, and it hit me. My computer, in all of its glory, had been autocorrecting 'Jaime' to 'Jamie'. Ugh. Luckily, I changed it before I posted my grievous mistake. **

**And all was right in the world again. Then, horror struck me. And I thought it couldn't be true, but I raced over to ****_this_**** story to check, and there it was: J-A-M-I-E. Why, God, WHYYYYYYY. How could I not have seen it before? When I read through my chapters, I guess my brain didn't pick up on it. **

**Stupid brain. Stupid computer. Of course this would happen to me. I have shame; so much shame.**

**I changed the settings, so it should be better. I'm going to go crawl in a hole and eat my feelings now. I will at some point go back and fix the past chapters, but I'm so busy right now that I barely had time to write this one. Also, I made this discovery (this terrible, soul-crushing discovery) a week or two ago, and I was all like: *shifty side eye, dramatic whisper* "no one will notice." (everyone noticed.)**

**Sighs all around. Sorry, guys. I'll be back soon! xxx**


	26. Chapter 26

**I loathe this chapter, but this is my fourth attempt at writing it, and it's the only version that came close to what I wanted it to be. I lost my faith/inspiration in this story for a while, but I recently rediscovered how much I enjoy writing it.**

**Admittedly, this chapter's a bit rough, but I'm only just getting back into this. There is a lot of mystery/heaviness at the beginning, but I ended it on a fluffy note!**

**As always, GRRM owns all characters and ASOIAF. I don't write for profit!**

* * *

Arya pushed away from the table and stood up angrily. Gendry was at her side in an instant, but instead of restraining her, he placed a supportive hand on the small of her back. He could feel her vibrating with rage, and he tried to calm her by rubbing her back in soothing circles. There was no use in trying to stop her, so the best he could do was try to rein her in.

When Margaery spotted them, it was too late for her to get away, so instead, she simpered, pretending to be glad to see them. With arms outstretched, she came toward them, exclaiming how beautiful they looked. Arya's mouth stayed in a grim line as she glared at the older girl. Margaery persisted in her exclamations, doggedly placing a kiss on Arya's cheek.

As he saw Arya stiffen, he was impressed with Margaery's nerve. He reached a placating hand between the two of them, pulling Arya slightly away from the older girl.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Arya growled fiercely.

"It's Sansa's engagement party! Of course I'm here."

"Did you bring Joffrey along, too? Because that's the only thing I can think of that will make this situation worse."

Margaery was only half listening to them, her eyes sweeping the room, apparently looking for something. Arya cleared her throat in annoyance, and she looked back with distracted eyes. Taking in Arya's angry expression, she shifted her weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. Abruptly, she spoke again, moving to dismiss herself.

"Clearly, I made a mistake. I'll leave."

Arya's eyebrows shot up, surprised that she was giving in so easily. Margaery was fidgeting nervously, seemingly eager to get away from the two of them. Backing away slowly, she began weaving through the crowd toward the exit. Arya watched her go with narrowed eyes.

The yellow of the girl's dress was easy to track, and Gendry and Arya watched its meandering path through the other guests. Margaery's head swiveled back and forth, her long, brown hair flicking over her shoulders. She appeared to be looking for someone, and Gendry couldn't help but wonder who it was. Margaery glanced over her shoulder to find the two of them still looking at her, and she bit her lip nervously.

Loras appeared at her side, placing an arm around his sister's shoulder. She whispered something to him, gesturing erratically. His eyebrows drew together concernedly, and he too began looking around at all of the guests. Margaery again made eye contact with Arya, and she gave her a desperate, pleading look, as though asking her to not kick her out.

Arya hesitated. She didn't want Margaery to ruin her sister's party, but she wanted to see the girl's reason for coming here in the first place. She obviously hadn't come here just to support Sansa. There was something more to her reason for being here.

Nudging her brother in the side, Margaery muttered something to him and nodded in their direction. With a glance at Arya and Gendry, Loras pulled out his phone and quickly typed something. The swell of people was growing thick around them, and the siblings were disappearing from Arya's view. She began shoving forward, trying to see where they'd gone, when Renly appeared out of nowhere, blocking her view. Shooting Gendry an annoyed look out of the side of her eye, she tried to shake his uncle to no avail. She had no doubt that Loras had sent Renly there to distract them, and it only added to her frustrations.

As Renly blathered on to them, Arya craned her neck over his shoulder, but it was too late. Margaery and Loras had been lost among the crowd of guests, and she couldn't see them anywhere. Gendry half-frowned in her direction and continued to talk courteously to his uncle. When Renly finally moved away she seized Gendry's hand, dragging him through the crowd.

"Did you see where she went?"

"No, but she sure was acting strangely."

"You noticed that too? It was weird, right? Like she was looking for someone."

"Yeah," Gendry nodded. "But the question is, who is she looking for?"

At a loss, Arya shook her head in confusion.

"I don't know, but I better not see her around here again."

With a huff, Arya leaned into Gendry. Pressing a kiss into the top of her head, he hugged her tightly.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand. "I see Hot Pie. Let's go say hi."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat, but she followed him, perking up slightly at the sight of their old friend. As she laughed with them, she allowed her thoughts to slip away from Margaery, but she couldn't stop little doubts from pricking at the back of her mind.

* * *

"Bran? Are you listening?"

Bran guiltily snapped to attention. Meera was looking at him expectantly, and he smiled ruefully.

"I'm sorry. I was distracted. What were you saying?"

"Nothing too important. Just talking about the reading we have to do for class on Monday. I'm much more interested in what captured your attention."

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it apologetically. Meera always listened to him, and he felt bad that he wasn't able to return the favor. With a jerk of his head, he indicated what he had been staring at earlier. Tyrion and his wife had just entered the room, and they were quietly talking to Margaery Tyrell, of all people. Loras was standing nearby, looking at them intently, and all four of them looked extremely grave.

Shae's face darkened in anger at whatever Margaery was saying to them, and Tyrion had to reach up and grab her hand in order to calm her down. He spoke with a thoughtful look on his face, and Margaery gave a forceful shake of her head. After a few more apparently heated words, Margaery walked away, leaving Shae shaking with anger and Tyrion studying the floor with a perturbed look on his face. An awkward look on his face, Loras ambled away.

Suddenly, Tyrion's head shot up, his mismatched eyes locking onto Bran's. From the way the man looked at him, he could tell that he knew that he'd been watching them. He glanced over at Meera and found her already looking at him.

"What do you think that was about?" she whispered.

"I have no idea," he murmured, shaking his head. "But they're coming this way."

Sure enough, the little man and his wife were walking toward them, wearing expressions that were a mixture of angry and worried.

"Mr. Stark, Miss Reed," he nodded at them as he pulled out a chair for his wife.

They nodded back at him, curiosity rendering them silent. Watching the pair with careful eyes, Tyrion lifted glasses of champagne from a nearby waiter's tray and gave one to Shae and drained one on his own.

"I wonder if you could answer a question for me."

"I can try," Bran responded cautiously.

"Tell me, do you think that secrets have an expiration date?"

Bran faltered, and Tyrion continued his thoughts while studying his empty champagne flute.

"It's just, I've noticed that they don't keep especially well. And they tend to grow stronger with age."

"Either way, they're usually poisonous."

"That is very true, Mr. Stark, very true."

Tyrion sighed heavily, and the sound sent shivers up his spine.

* * *

Robb shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes trained on his little brother as he talked to Tyrion Lannister. Though he and his father had helped the man, he still couldn't help but feel suspicious of him. There was something unnerving about him, and Robb didn't like him hanging around his family.

Jeyne walked up to him, smiling softly. She pressed a kiss against his cheek, and he yanked a hand out of his pocket so he could pull her in for a hug. There was still an awkwardness in their movements; there were times when they weren't even sure of their feelings. They hadn't been in love when they'd conceived their son, and they hadn't been in love when they'd gotten married. They had lost track of each other, but Robb felt like they were finally finding their way back to one another again. As he stared down at her pretty face, he thought that there might still be a chance for love.

"It's nice to have a night to ourselves, isn't it?" she muttered against his side.

"Yeah, but I can't help but worry about leaving Ned alone with the sitter."

She laughed at his concerns, but he knew that she shared them with him. Neither one of them had wanted to leave their son behind, but they both agreed that tonight should just be the two of them. They exchanged a quick kiss before turning to Jon and Ygritte who were approaching them with smiles on their faces. After the requisite hugs and greetings, the two couples chatted happily, catching each other up on what had happened since the wedding.

Strangely, in the middle of his sentence, Jon's face hardened, and his posture went rigid. Before Robb could ask what the matter was, Jaime Lannister brushed past him, knocking his shoulder slightly. He turned to look at the man, but his gaze was trained on Jon. There was something like regret glinting in his green eyes, but he didn't stop to talk.

"Man, something about that guy bothers me," Jon muttered.

"The Lannisters in general bother me. Did you know that Tyrion's been hanging out around our house? He and Bran are apparently great friends," Robb said, nodding toward the table where the two of them sat. Jon glanced over to them, but his attention was quick to snap back to Jaime.

"Something strange is going on with that family for sure."

* * *

Jaime hurried past the two Starks who were currently staring daggers at him and headed toward the tall, blonde woman who was looking at him with even more dislike on her face.

"Hello again, Officer Tarth."

"What do you want?"

Hostility radiated from her, and she looked ready to punch him. With a charming smile, he approached her, hands up in mock surrender.

"Look: no law-breaking, no traffic violations. Just coming to say hello to an old friend."

"What are you _really_ doing here? I didn't think the Starks would want anything to do with you."

"Oh I don't know; Sansa and I got to be pretty good friends when I thought she was going to be family."

"I forgot that she used to be engaged to Joffrey."

"I bet the Starks wish they could forget, too." Jaime swallowed awkwardly, suddenly wishing he had something to drink. "It's weird, isn't it," he continued, "being here with them?"

"Why would it be weird?" she grunted.

"After all of our…history. I think the last time I spoke to Ned Stark was that horrible night seventeen years ago."

Much to Jaime's surprise, instead of responding angrily, she only looked at him sadly.

"I think that was my last time, too."

"It's tough, huh?"

"I don't know how to look them in the eyes."

"It gets easier," he shot back bitterly.

"Don't do that. Don't act like you don't care."

He sighed and knocked his shoulder against hers.

"I care about _you_. How have you been?" His tone was soft and his eyes were softer as he stared at her deeply. He had forgotten just how beautiful her eyes were.

"I'm fine," she sniffed.

"You sure about that?" Lifting a finger to her face, he traced a rather ugly scar that stretched across her cheek. She flinched away from his touch and rolled her eyes.

"It's just an injury I got on the job."

"Your partner should have had your back. Maybe you need a new one."

"You offering?" Brienne snorted. "Because your track record in that position isn't the best."

Before Jaime could reply to that shot at him, his words were stopped short by the guests of honor's appearance.

* * *

Sansa was absolutely glowing as she walked in on Sandor's arm. She beamed at all of their guests as they smiled back at the two of them. Sandor guided her into the room stiffly, and she knew that he was uncomfortable with all of the people around him. She leaned against his arm, happy to have him by her side.

When they'd finally gotten through greeting the bulk of their guests, Sansa spotted her parents. With a squeal, she pulled them into a tight hug and thanked them for the party. Catelyn laughed and gave her daughter a kiss before pulling Sandor into a hug.

As the guests started to seat themselves around the tables, Sandor, Sansa, and her parents moved to one of the front tables next to the rest of her family. The waiters had just finished serving everyone's first course when Ned stood up, champagne flute in one hand, microphone in the other. Clearing his throat, he smiled around at everyone.

"Catelyn and I wanted to thank all of you for joining us as we celebrate the engagement of our eldest daughter to Sandor Clegane," he clasped a heavy hand on his wife's shoulder before turning to smile at his daughter and soon to be son-in-law. Sansa beamed back at him, but Sandor only looked at him solemnly, and Ned understood just how seriously he was taking all of this.

"It is a very difficult thing for a father to watch his daughter grow up: to see her go from being his baby girl to being a young woman. And Sansa has grown up beautifully."

His words again came to a stop as he cleared his throat, and if Sansa didn't know any better, she would have thought her dad was getting choked up.

"I've been there for every one of her milestones," he continued quietly. "Her first breath. Her first words. Her first steps. Her first day of school. Her first love. Her first broken heart. I have been with her through the best moments of her life and the worst. I have loved her and am every day amazed that I could be a part of my beautiful little girl's life. Because dads never really stop thinking of their daughters as their little girls. They never want to think they'll outgrow them."

Sansa's eyes were shining, and Sandor draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. On the other side of Ned, Catelyn was crying lightly into her napkin.

"Then this guy came along," Ned continued, turning to look at Sandor. "And I hated him."

The crowd rippled with laughter, and even Sansa giggled through her tears. Sandor smiled gruffly at Ned as he grinned somewhat abashedly at his daughter's fiancé.

"The first time I met Sandor, I looked at Cat and told her that I knew we were in trouble. Because even then, we could see in an instant how head over heels they were for each other. And as much as I hate to give her away, I can say with absolute confidence that there can be no better man for her. So Sandor, I would say take care of my baby, but I already know you will. Congratulations you two.

"To Sandor and Sansa."

Lifting his glass to the gathered friends and family and smiling over at Sansa, he toasted them.

"To Sandor and Sansa," the crowd echoed before mirroring his actions.

Sandor drank deeply, and Sansa sprang up, pulling her father into a hug.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered into his ear. "I love you so much."

He squeezed her back and kissed the top of her head. Admittedly, the room had gotten a little misty during Ned's speech, and there was a bit of a lull following it. Their talking resumed as people began eating. Sansa smiled over at Arya who was sitting at a table not too far away from her. Her sister made a goofy face to show what she thought of all the sappiness before giving her a real smile. Sansa laughed and turned to Sandor. He was watching her with tenderness in his eyes, and she blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

Absentmindedly, she moved the lemon from her water into Sandor's glass as he forked the unwanted cucumbers from his salad onto her plate. They didn't eat especially effectively, as they kept catching each other's glances and grinning at each other mid-forkful.

After the waiters had cleared away the last of the courses, Sandor cracked his knuckles almost nervously and pressed a kiss to Sansa's cheek, his face strangely intense. He pushed away from the table and heavily got to his feet. Silence fell rapidly over the guests, and they looked at him expectantly. The microphone was pushed into his hand, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Sansa and I would also like to say something. Or, well, I'm going to say something, but I'm sure Sansa agrees with me when I say thank you all coming here to wish us well." He paused awkwardly, unsure of how to continue. Part of him wondered why he thought making a speech was a good day at all.

"A lot of you are probably surprised to see me here, and honestly, I'm surprised, myself. Never in a million years did I think I would be so lucky as to end up here."

He looked over at Sansa who was crying in earnest now, and lost his train of thought. Even as she smiled through her tears, she looked absolutely beautiful. And what was more, she was smiling because of him. He couldn't believe that someone so perfect as her would ever love him, let alone agree to marry him. A couple of guests laughed politely, and he realized that he'd been staring at her without speaking for a long time. Shaking his head, he returned to his speech.

"Anyway," he grumbled, "my point is, I never thought my path would lead me here, but I'm thankful every day that it did. So Sansa, here's to you."

Their guests joined him in his toast, and Sansa buried her face in her hands and cried happy tears. When he sat down again, she pulled her hands away and looked at him with so much joy, it made his heart swell.

"Kiss!" Theon shouted from Arya's table. Arya punched him in the arm, but she joined in the clapping and hooting of the other guests. Sandor lifted a hand to her face, pulling his thumb across her bottom lip. He kissed her seriously and deeply, and in that moment, everyone else melted away, and they forgot that they were in a room with quite a large group of people.

As they finally broke apart, Sansa flushed a dark red, and bit her lip as she smiled up at her fiancé. Leaning her forehead into his, she stared into his grey eyes.

"I love you," she whispered as he wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "And I can't wait to marry you."

"I love you, Sansa. I'm no good at speeches, but that was what I was trying to say."

"I thought it was perfect."

And in that moment, everything was.

* * *

**Ugh. I love the two of them together so much. And I love their fluffiness even more. **

**And hahaha "A Chance for Love" sounds like some kind of cheesy romance novel that Jeyne and Robb could star in…hehehe I crack myself up.**

**There was more drama in this chapter than I was initially planning. In truth, this has evolved a bit beyond my original plan for a short, simple story that was just about Sandor/Sansa's wedding. I don't mind the course it's taken, but I am planning for most of the next few chapters to be purely fluff. Probably.**

**Thanks for reading and putting up with my sporadic updates. I get discouraged sometimes, but y'all help me through! xxx**


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